Stay for Dinner by Sandhya Parappukkaran
This book was part of the Notable list for the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year Awards – Picture Book
Stay for Dinner is a powerful story that celebrates culture and connection through food, from the creators of The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name, winner of the 2022 Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Award for New Illustrator. Reshma loves dinnertime with her family. Her family eat with their hands – not just finger food type-eating, but hands-on squishy eating. When she’s invited to stay for dinner at her friends’ places, she finds out that they all eat in different ways. Some go ting ting with their cutlery, and others go click clack with their chopsticks. So what will her friends say when they see her family eat with their hands? ‘Stay for Dinner is a requirement on every bookshelf as a resource that teaches vital social skills and cultural appreciation-it’s a salve for everyday anxieties any child may feel in regards to fitting in with their peers. This picture book is a wonderful revelation of the true diversity evident within Australia.
I was so delighted to pick yet another amazing book by my favourite author Sandhya Parappukkaran for CBW book review – Stay for Dinner.
Same as all her previous works, this book also highlights Indian culture and heritage. It encourages everyone to celebrate the difference, appreciate own identity and respect each other.
“Side curries, pickles and pappadums…”
Reshma loves dinnertime with family. She gets invited to stay for dinner at her friend’s place. She enjoys using ting-ting cutlery and click-clack chopsticks. Finally, when she gets a chance to invite her friends over for dinner, Reshma feels nervous. She thinks her friends might laugh. But what happens later makes her feel proud of her rich Indian culture and diversifying food.
All the food illustrations look appetising and delicious especially sadya. As a south Indian myself, I enjoy having food with my right hand. My kids love to eat on eco- friendly paper banana leaves as the real ones are hard to find in Perth.
My favourite part in the book is where Reshma talks about her dinner table.
“At home Ammamma sweeps her plate clean.
She licks each finger one by one……. Then Ammama burps.”
‘Stay for Dinner’ book teaches social skills and cultural aspiration. Highly recommend this entertaining and diverse picture book to all families.
