From Hand to Mouth Or, How We Invented Knives, Forks, Spoons, and Chopsticks, and the Table

by James Cross Giblin

A history of the eating utensils and table manners of various cultures from the Stone Age to the present day.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Childrens

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

James Cross Giblin was an American children's author and editor, known for his award-winning works. He won the Golden Kite Award and the Sibert Medal for his contributions to children's literature. Giblin was born in Cleveland and raised in Painesville, Ohio. He graduated from Western Reserve University and earned a master's in playwriting from Columbia University. After a brief acting career, he entered publishing, founding Clarion Books, a children's imprint later acquired by Houghton Mifflin. At Clarion, he edited works by notable authors like Eileen Christelow and Mary Downing Hahn. Giblin’s works include The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler and Good Brother, Bad Brother.

Reviews

[Amy Seneca · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s the connection between France’s Sun King and table knives? How did elaborate ruffed collars change the shape of spoons? I read this to my five children (ages 8-16), and though by no means exhaustive, it did a great job holding their attention and giving an interesting overview of the evolution of tableware and mealtime etiquette.

[Ejayen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's written with an evolutionary view point and I wondered about some of their claims.

[Jerry]

review text for 1057

[R. G. Nairam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun idea, but nothing particularly striking about it except this sentence: "Western Europe was moving away from the narrow outlook of the Middle Ages and toward the period of creativity, exploration, and discovery known as the Renaissance."

*sounds of rage*

Not up to picking that apart right now, but I did like the various illustrations of utensils as they changed over the ages.

It's interesting in its unusual focus.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

You should read this if you are a child needing to prepare a report on the evolution of eating utenils. Or if you were curious like me.

[Anne Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

(MCLS Challenge 2016: Children's book published in 1987)