Our Table

When the members of Violet’s family become engrossed in their solitary tech-driven activities, the dining table where they used to eat together begins to shrink.

Violet fondly remembers the convivial meals that her family shared at the dining table, but the family no longer eats together. Instead, they watch TV or play games on their computers. This makes Violet sad. Then, Violet notices that the dining table is shrinking! Eventually, the table disappears altogether. Determined to set things to rights, she recruits her family members to employ their favourite pastimes researching how to build a table.

More than one picture book has decried the evils of technology, but Reynolds manages to somewhat soften the hit with a sweet story. It was refreshing to glimpse beneficial uses of technology rather than an outright tear-down of social media and television. The overarching message feels reasonably moderate: digital entertainment can be good, but make sure that you have made space for face-to-face time with your loved ones. Adult readers may find this a useful discussion starter.

I did find the premise to be extreme in certain respects. It feels like a stretch that the family could go from having congenial meals at a carefully set table to leaving their youngest member eating cereal all alone. The resolution similarly felt idealized. Violet’s family members are all too willing to help with the rebuilding project, making the reader wonder why Violet couldn’t have simply asked to be involved in their digital activities.

The text in this story is straightforward. The sentences are short, and the vocabulary is simple, with the occasional rare word such as “marvel” or “fondly”. There is an instance of repetition which makes for a pleasant read and also helps young readers engage with the narrative.

The art is in Reynolds’ signature style, using what appears to be ink and watercolours. The backgrounds are blank, with just enough detail added to ground readers in the scene. This does the job of focusing readers’ attention onto the narrative. The illustrations don’t generally go much beyond the text but do a good job of reflecting the story and setting the emotional tone. The colour palette is comprised mainly of purple — a charming connection to the protagonist’s name. The vignettes around the dinner table are in full colour while the scenes featuring a distracted family are done entirely in purple and black.

Violet and her family are Black and slim. The only other character depicted in the book is a plump woman with a chestnut complexion who is selling apples. No disabilities are depicted in the illustrations or text.

Our Table is a sweet story about prioritizing family time amidst modern distractions.