{"id":45319,"date":"2025-06-23T23:25:22","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T03:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=45319"},"modified":"2025-06-23T23:25:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T03:25:22","slug":"review-of-when-alexander-graced-the-table-by-alexander-smalls-and-denene-millner-art-by-frank-morrison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=45319","title":{"rendered":"Review of When Alexander Graced the Table, by Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner, art by Frank Morrison"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>When Alexander Graced the Table<\/em><\/p>\n

by Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner
\nwith art by Frank Morrison<\/p>\n

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. 36 pages.
\nReview written June 9, 2025, from a library book.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

Here’s a gorgeous picture book telling about when chef Alexander Smalls made his first pie for his family’s Sunday dinner.<\/p>\n

Every spread is lavishly illustrated, and we start out with a view of the hustle and bustle around Sunday dinners – the highlight of Alexander’s whole life.<\/p>\n

His Mom and Dad and sisters and Papa and Grandma and Auntie and Uncle and cousins would all gather and enjoy them together.<\/p>\n

The week may have been long and a little tough, but Sunday dinners meant family was there for you. They gave faith in tomorrow.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And then, one Saturday night, Alexander’s Mom gives him permission to make his own franks and beans – and they turn out delicious! But his father didn’t want any.<\/p>\n

So – Alexander makes something special for Sunday dinner – especially to please his father. He uses graham crackers, sugar, butter, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and lots and lots of lemons, fresh off the tree.<\/p>\n

And then we have a wonderful figurative drum roll when Alexander graces the table with a pie he made all by himself.<\/p>\n

There’s a close-up of his father’s face for the moment of truth.<\/p>\n

The recipe is at the back of the book – with a note that it’s the first pie the chef ever made. Clearly the joy of making people happy led Alexander to his life’s work.<\/p>\n

And this window on that inspiration will make you feel like you’re there.<\/p>\n

alexandersmalls.com<\/a>
\ndenenemillner.com<\/a>
\nmorrisongraphics.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/when_alexander_graced_the_tables.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

What did you think of this book?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Alexander Graced the Table by Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner with art by Frank Morrison Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. 36 pages. Review written June 9, 2025, from a library book. Starred Review Here’s a gorgeous picture book telling about when chef Alexander Smalls made his first pie for his family’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,15,42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-contemporary","category-picture-book-review","category-starred-review"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45319"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45356,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45319\/revisions\/45356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}