Welcome to Our Table - (Welcome to Our . . .) by Laura Mucha

Book Synopsis

Find out what children eat all around the world in this beautifully illustrated book!

From biltong to biryani, papaya to passionfruit, and ramen to roti, there are so many different dishes and delicacies all around the world. In this fascinating book, young children can learn all about what people in other countries eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as where our food comes from, and the stories, cultures, and traditions behind what we eat. This unique, warm-hearted book encourages understanding, empathy, and respect, and will inspire a lifelong love of food and flavor.

Review Quotes

A wide-angled overview of the foods that sustain and entertain us.

Taking a resolutely international approach, the authors-one a poet, the other a trained chef-offer terse but taste-tempting descriptions of hundreds of dishes prepared worldwide with dozens of fruits, vegetables, meats, herbs, spices, nuts, and sweets. After priming readers to think of food analytically in terms of taste, smell, and texture, they launch their survey with various savory examples made with "Remarkable Rice" or "Amazing Maize," from Italian risotto (which "you must, must, MUST keep stirring as you cook, because this helps it become really oozy") to noodles like Ukrainian lokshyna. Along with the multitude of entrees, side courses aplenty look at tableware, the dangers of overfishing, how to say delicious in 15 languages, and more on the way to pages of desserts and a closing map of all the countries featured (with, characteristically, "The End" in 18 languages). Lynas' brightly colored images of, mostly, children diverse in race and ethnicity who appear eager to chow down on yummy-looking provender make all of this even easier to digest. Though some widely consumed ingredients don't earn separate entries (neither barley nor honey makes the cut, for instance), the menu does extend to insects and even (if under the heading "Fake food") meat grown in labs or made from plants.

Another way we are all linked by our differences; rewarding reading for everyone who eats. (Nonfiction. 7-9)

--Kirkus Reviews, Kirkus Reviews

If you thought you knew a lot about food, think again! Welcome to Our Table is packed with facts
and fancies about humans and food. The organization of the book is unpredictable, which
creates a kind of whimsy not often found in nonfiction. There are sections about categories of
food (rice, maize, noodles, bread, vegetables, peppers), interspersed with sections about topics
such as types of lunches, foods that come from pods, and the textures of foods. A favorite
spread is likely to be the one on smelly food: French Vieux Boulogne, Japanese natto, and West
Indian stinking toe fruit. Geography seems to be the organizing principle, with foods being
identified with countries (as opposed to regions or cultures). There are factoids about different
food production methods and occasions when certain foods are consumed, plus many words in
languages from around the world, complete with pronunciation guides. The illustrations are
reminiscent of Gyo Fujikawa's cherubic children, with identical faces made diverse through color,
clothing, and other simple details. This engaging, informative book will be loved by early readers.

--Booklist

"Welcoming friends, families, and strangers to break bread and share food is a yummy way to practice kindness."--Jessica Schriver, PhD, School Library Journal

A wide-angled overview of the foods that sustain and entertain us.--Kirkus Reviews

If you thought you knew a lot about food, think again! Welcome to Our Table is packed with facts and fancies about humans and food . . . The illustrations are reminiscent of Gyo Fujikawa's cherubic children, with identical faces made diverse through color, clothing, and other simple details. This engaging, informative book will be loved by early readers.--Amina Chaudhri, Booklist

About the Author

Laura Mucha has traveled to every continent of the world and writes books of poems, facts, and stories for children. Ed Smith writes lip-smacking recipes in his cookbooks for adults. They're both fascinated by the many different things we humans grow, cook, and eat. They also share and enjoy many meals around the same table (they're married), so decided to join forces to create this book.

Harriet Lynas is an award-winning children's book illustrator who lives in Cambridge with her husband and their son. She has always loved doodling since she was able to hold a pencil and decided to become an illustrator at the age of ten. After studying Visual Communication Design at University, Harriet worked as a graphic designer in the fashion industry before becoming a children's book illustrator. When she is not drawing, she enjoys cooking exotic foods and country walking.