Space for everyone

At the center of Zainab's home is a long wooden table, where the family gathers at the start of the day to enjoy mint tea or hot chocolate. As people start arriving, more and more chairs are added and the gathering around the table grows in size as well as camaraderie. Zainab's happiness is laced with the worry that things won't always be this way, even though her parents assure her it will. The family moves to a new home, and for a while, there is quiet and emptiness. But then, sure enough, people begin arriving--old friends and family members, as well as new neighbors--and the community is revived around the table. Space for Everyone reminds readers to be open and optimistic, in their hearts as well as their homes. Sucre's bold digital illustrations complement this message and provide an affirming depiction of a strong, loving Black community.

Wedlick (The Night Market) and Sucre (Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush) spotlight a welcoming family table in this bighearted tale. A family of five begins the day with breakfast at a large rectangular table. When neighbors stop by, the addition of more chairs creates a surface that's "stretched as far as it will go." After school, the object holds space for young Zainab and her mother to bond over mint tea, then becomes a place for four when it's time for homework and crafts. Later, relatives arrive, and as the house fills, "their table for four is a table for more." When it's time for Zainab's family to move, everyone gathers for a going-away party, during which "even more family and friends squeeze, squeeze, squeeze all around the family table" and beyond. And despite worries about the transition, family and old friends are soon joined by welcoming neighbors at the new house, and Zainab expresses gratitude: "Thank you, table, for always having space for everyone." Warm, cheerful artwork and stylized characters portrayed with brown skin populate cozy family scenes, while gentle prose makes room for everyone, no matter the group's size. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Alice Fugate, Joy Harris Literary. Illustrator's agent: Helen Boyle, Pickled Ink. (Jan.)