The Thank You Dish by Trace Balla

The Thank You Dish

By Trace Balla                                                                                                 

Mama and Grace use their dinner times to share both conversation and gratitude. While Mama thanks the sun and rain and other sensible things, Grace is not afraid to use her imagination. She starts by thanking the kangaroos, which gives Mama pause: why should we thank the kangaroos? To Grace it makes perfect sense: because they didn’t eat all the carrots in our garden so we can have some for dinner! The story then follows a parade of odd things to be thankful for and with Mama’s questioning the reasons why. Grace’s gratitudes range from the alpaca and road workers to a roadside vegetable stand and her rationales behind the thanks range from the obvious to the intricate.

This sweet book celebrates time spent with family as well as the fading art of dinner conversations, particularly important now when many family meals are silenced by the use of cell phones and other devices. Balla’s delightful text and soothing illustrations will hopefully launch a resurgence in more interactive family meals.