‘The Little Kids’ Table’ can be divine dining destination

Book review: ‘The Little Kids‘ Table‘ can be divine dining destination

Grandma is the best cook ever!

She’s second only to Mom, who makes your favorite foods every day. Oh, what about Dad’s special mashed potatoes? And you really love Auntie’s sprinkle cookies! You’ll get to taste every one of those things soon — but where will you sit while you’re eating? Find out in “The Little Kids’ Table” by Mary Ann McCabe Riehle, illustrated by Mary Reaves Uhles.

It’s always fun visiting Grandma, especially at the holidays. That’s when you get to sit at a special place for kids only.

Everything at the grown-ups’ table is nice. They have sparkly silverware, shiny glasses and pretty dishes. The grown-ups’ table has washable napkins to put on your lap, a table cloth and even a vase of flowers.

It’s not like that at the little kids’ table. Where you all sit, it’s loud and messy. Your brother may be crying. Someone might be trying to hang spoons off her nose (or teaching somebody else how to do it), while your twin cousins play a joke on another kid. There’s always a grown-up to fix your plate, to give you another helping of foods you like or to try to make you taste something that’s “totally icky.” It’s easy to be goofy at the little kids’ table.

And when you do, that’s about the time when Mom gets annoyed and makes you “Stop it now, please!” You should behave at the little kids’ table — more or less. You should eat what’s on your plate — more or less. And you should always pay attention to what the grown-ups say — more than not!

Grandpa probably wishes he was sitting next to you, poking his finger in your pumpkin pie. Uncle wishes he could hang spoons from his face. Mom would surely laugh until milk came out of her nose if she was at the little kids’ table. Grandma probably hates shiny glasses because paper cups are more fun. Truth is, all the grown-ups wish they were you because everybody knows which table is the best!

Grumble, grumble, grumble. Is that what you hear every holiday when the kids are sent to a satellite seat? Well, they’ll never feel deprived again, after you’ve read aloud “The Little Kids’ Table.”

Through a fun rhyme that’ll make your child look forward to this years’ holiday, McCabe Riehle turns the banished feeling around to make it fun to sit at a table away from the adults. Even the family dog gets involved, and the chaos that follows will make kids giggle. It helps a lot that Reaves Uhles adds silly details in her drawings — details that, once you start looking for them, can make this book seem fresh no matter how many times you’ll be asked to read it aloud.

For 5- to 8-year-olds, this is a great holiday book and a nice reminder that sitting away from the adults is something even the adults want. And if that sounds tasty, then “The Little Kids’ Table” will be a feast for you both.

— View publishes Terri Schlichenmeyer’s reviews of books for children weekly.