Saying Grace: Blessings for the Family Table [Hardcover]

Sarah McElwain (Editor), David Dean (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2003

Offering thanks for our daily bread is just about universal. This collection of 120 mealtime blessings spans the globe and reaches back hundreds of years to include a wide range of sentiments, from the amusing to the heartfelt to the sacred. A Chinese proverb gives us this reminder, "When eating bamboo shoots, remember the man who planted them." The Irish lyrically ask that "the sweet light within you guide you on your way." And for those who like to cut to the chase, there's "Good bread, good meat, good God, let's eat." What they have in common is a joyous and heartwarming appreciation for life's bounty. Beautifully illustrated, these pages offer those gathered around the table time-honored words of gratitude. In the words of a 19th century blessing, "May others all these blessings share, and hearts be grateful everywhere."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Dean is a London-based illustrator.

Sarah McElwain is the editor of @METRO, The Metropolitan New York Library Council Newsletter and a teacher at The Writers Studio. She lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811840255
• ISBN-13: 978-0811840255
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,526 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful family book, January 7, 2008

By 

EKB "pearica" (Chevy Chase, MD, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saying Grace: Blessings for the Family Table (Hardcover)

I bought this book as a New Year's gift for my family and we already love it. My kids are 3 and 6 and each day we take turns opening to a random page and reading a blessing. I picked this one over other books because the blessings are a mixture of traditional/heavy and fun/light. I recommend it highly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Graceful Variety, November 2, 2010

By 

Carol J. Smucker (Brasstown, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saying Grace: Blessings for the Family Table (Hardcover)

I found Saying Grace in a candy store. The delightful colorful cover illustration caught my attention. Saying grace at mealtimes has always been a part of my/our family tradition. Now that I have grandchildren I want to encourage that spiritual practice in them and their families. This book's great variety of graces will appeal to children and adults equally. From one line graces to graces of several stanzas with graces from multiple cultures, this book not only encourages saying thanks for God's multiple blessings, it also encourages a broader appreciation and thankfulness for all of God's peoples and creation.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saying Grace: Blessings for the Family Table, April 2, 2007

By 

P. Schmitt (Erie, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saying Grace: Blessings for the Family Table (Hardcover)

Very simple blessings for the family table. Good First Communion present.