Sandhya Parappukkaran
Michelle Pereira (Illustrator)
Hardie Grant Publishing
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.’ – Books+Publishing
‘The words and images [in Stay for Dinner] combine perfectly like a feast. This is an important book about many more things than food. It highlights the importance of family, friendship, community, diversity, and acceptance—as well as delicious cuisine. Stay for Dinner is a keeper, to be read over and over again, just for the fun of it.’ – Children’s Book Council Australia
Awards:
Winner 2024 NSW Premier’s Literary Award – Multicultural NSW Award.
Long listed – 2024 Children’s Book Council of Australia – Notable book.
Resources:
Sandhya Parappukkaran
Michelle Pereira (Illustrator)
Abrams Kids Books
This gentle picture book speaks to the anxieties many children have about not fitting in with their peers, and celebrates the ways food can connect us to our cultures and to each other.
From the storytellers behind the award-winning The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name comes a powerful picture book about culture and connection through food, perfect for fans of Soul Food Sunday.
Connection and Community
Play School Story Time
Library Craft Workshop
Beautiful art by kids who attended my library and bookstore workshops!
Reviews
A gorgeous celebration of food and culture.
Your Kid's Next Read, Megan Daley
“This is the third time these two have teamed up and it is always a wining combination. Their latest collaboration has produced Stay for Dinner, a joyous, inclusive and exuberant celebration of the many different foods that people eat and the ways it is consumed. A gorgeously produced book recommended to schools as a valuable resource for any study on food, families and other cultures.”
“Their stunning books empower, include and validate the way children see themselves and are greatly influenced by Sandhya’s Kerala Indian heritage. This book celebrates difference and highlights that we are all richer when we learn about diverse ways of being; models prosocial behaviour and empowers readers to expand their thinking. ”