Dinner on the Doorstep, Elizabeth Cummings (author), Bronte Goodieson (illustrator), Coogee (publisher), October, 2017
Having a chronically ill parent is an immensely difficult and confusing time for a young child. From deeper issues like the fear of death, to the simple disappointment of not having mum’s home-cooked favourite for dinner, children’s emotional experiences are complex.Dinner on the Doorstep uses beautiful, simple language to eloquently tell the story of two young children whose mother is in hospital, and has been for some time.
Friends and neighbours want to help, so each night, someone leaves a dinner on the family’s doorstep.
Every afternoon, Mikey and Simon look forward to coming home from school and discovering what the night’s meal will be.
Using every day scenarios, centred around the nightly dinner time experiences, the reader is drawn into the story, the depth of feeling easily rising above the simplicity of the words.
The delightful and eclectic illustrations are wonderfully colourful, bringing joy to a challenging subject matter.
Dinner on the Doorstep is part of the Elephant in the Room series, which deals with difficult issues through the eyes of a young child.
A beautifully uplifting story for children and adults alike.
One thought to “Review: Dinner on the Doorstep by Elizabeth Cummings”
I love the look of this book, and having been the beneficiary of doorstep dinners during times of need, I love the theme too 🙂 Thanks for the review!