What is your favourite Picture Book Dining scene?

ArtMelC

Hi folks,
I am gathering inspiration for a WIP book and would love to have some recommendations on what dining scenes in picture books left a lasting impression on you... or are simply your faves and why... I think it would be fun to hear from everyone!

Lisa Clark

@ArtMelC Cloudy with a chance of meatballs has an illustration at the beginning with them eating breakfast in the kitchen. I remember it because their grandpa is flipping a pancake across the room, and I always thought that was so cool!

Also, just an observation, in Green Eggs and Ham, I don't remember them ever sitting down at a table even though the whole book was about NOT liking a particular food!

KevinTreaccar

@ArtMelC The Christmas meal at the end of Santa Bruce (Ryan T. Higgins) looks great/funny. That one always stands out in my mind.

Meekipink

@ArtMelC The final page in Hazel Townson's "Terrible Tuesday" has a brilliant image of the dining room being trashed by food as all the kids play. Tony Ross was the illustrator, and his style in watercolour and ink is SO fun and dynamic. As a kid, I read this one over and over and I adored all the little details and facial expressions.

lucy_gow

The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base has a decadent dining scene in it. I read it when I was nine and it was the first one I thought of. Sumptuous, over-the-top with shiny things. He's put some of the pictures online: http://graemebase.com.au/book/the-eleventh-hour/

ArtMelC

@Lisa-Clark funny, I had the "grandpa tossing pancake" image in my head without being able to pinpoint where it came from. Thank you for naming it for me!

Green eggs and ham is fun too!

ArtMelC

@lucy_gow @KevinTreaccar @Meekipink thank you all for your lovely recommendation. I'll try to find them at the library this weekend!

I have yet to decide what vibe to go with, but I thought it would be fun to study a lot of successful dining scenes with various different vibes (fun, quirky, decadent, chaotic, warm & cozy etc) and their placement in a story.

Melissa_Bailey

@ArtMelC here are a few more dining scenes in picture books:

The Prince and the Porker by Peter Bentley, illustrated by David Roberts, has a few dining scenes. Pignatius has a huge appetite.
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood, is a Caldecott Honor book with a decadent dining scene...in the bathtub!
Tuesday by David Wiesner has a solo dining scene interrupted by flying frogs.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, has a simple scene where everyone is sharing a pot of tea in the kitchen.
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua, has a few dining scenes. The book is all about cooking (and eating) the perfect bao.
Tea Rex by Molly Idle is about inviting a T-rex over for a tea party.
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise has an impromptu dining scene eating pizza around a fire, if that counts.

Now you have more to add to your list. Hope you have fun researching at the library!