Elon Musk tweeted a photo that he said showed his bedside table on Monday. Objects on the table include cans of caffeine-free Diet Coke and what appear to be two replica guns.

An object’s uses and history are also at the center of THE TABLE (Neal Porter/Holiday House, 56 pp., $19.99, ages 4 to 8), the wildly creative new picture book from Winsome Bingham and Wiley ...