Celebrating the Best Kind of Connectivity - the Human Kind

DEDHAM, MA - On Saturday November 6th, New York Times #1 best-selling Author/Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds will be celebrating the release of a brand new picture book for all ages called Our Table, a modern fable about a creative little girl who brings her family back to the table to celebrate togetherness - despite the distractions of technology all around them. The public is invited to the in-person launch party event, which is being hosted by The Blue Bunny bookshop at 577 High Street in Dedham Square between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Reynolds will be signing and personalizing first edition copies of the Our Table book, while guests, young and older, will be invited to participate in hands-on activities, and be entered into a free drawing to win prizes, which include a piece of original artwork.

The Blue Bunny’s Danielle Kreger shared, “We’re also encouraging people to bring a donation for the Dedham Food Pantry, as a way to ensure that everyone has food on their table, especially as we approach Thanksgiving.”

Published by Scholastic/Orchard Books, Our Table encourages readers to rediscover and reevaluate what matters most, sharing time together in person - without technology devices. The main character Violet longs for the time when her family was connected: before life, distractions, and technology pulled them all away from each other. They used to gather at the table, with food and love, to make memories, share their lives, and revel in time spent together. But now her family has been drifting apart, and with nobody to gather around it, the table grows smaller and smaller. And so, Violet comes up with a very creative solution to bring her family back to the table to celebrate the best kind of connectivity - the human kind.

Reynolds explains, “I wrote Our Table as a fable for all ages as a reminder to give our devices a rest and see that connecting to the Internet is not nearly as powerful as connecting with the humans around us.”

Our Table has already been acclaimed by the publishing industry’s top reviewers. Kirkus Reviews, one of the industry’s leading critics, awarded the book a prestigious starred review, noting, "In Reynolds’ established tradition, this story is simple and full of heart, celebrating the wonder and possibility of being human and being in relationship... Sweet and timely for today’s families."

Reynolds' picture book also scored another sought-after, starred review from the American Library Association’s Booklist Magazine, one of the country’s most authoritative book reviewers. The Booklist reviewer explains, “You can read this picture book as a parable for our times, when electronic devices that supposedly connect people actually isolate them. Reynolds tells the story simply and illustrates it expressively . . . A reminder of what really matters.”

Reynolds is the author/illustrator of many bestselling and award-winning picture books, including The Word Collector, Happy Dreamer, Be You, The Dot, Going Places, and The North Star, as well as illustrator of the Judy Moody & Stink series. He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he has owned and operated the award-winning Blue Bunny bookshop & espresso bar for the past eighteen years. Reynolds is also founder of the Boston-based educational media & interactive development firm FableVision Studios, and K12 edtech program provider FableVision Learning located in Dedham. FableVision Studios created the animated book trailer for the Our Table book, and can be viewed here.

First edition, signed copies of Our Table are now available at The Blue Bunny bookshop at 577 High Street in Dedham Square, and also available through the shop’s online store: thedotcentral.com. For more information about the Our Table launch party event, click here.