  | At the window Author: Lim, Hope | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Every day, a child walking a dog around the block passes a woman seated in her wide front window. What is she doing? What does she see? Days pass, and the two neighbors exchange smiles, nods, and waves. Soon they're calling out "Hello!" But one day, the child finds the wide window empty and a For Sale sign on the lawn.
| Illustrator: | Leng, Qin |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (04/15/25)
Booklist (05/01/25)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/05/25)
The Hornbook (00/07/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 02/24/2025 In this wistful story by Lim (Mommy’s Hometown), a pale-skinned child who walks a dachshund each day describes a regular stopping point: "a house on the corner with a big, wide window." A dark-haired, pink-cheeked woman sits there; a page of vignettes shows her writing, looking outdoors, sipping from a mug. The two begin to wave, nod, and chat. One day, though, the window is empty, and the child experiences surprise and dismay when it remains so. Yet the encounter suggests new possibilities for the youth, who visits the empty house after its yard yields a "for sale" sign. Looking out the writer’s window inspires the child to push aside their own home’s closed curtains: "now I see what I’ve been missing." In a story about inspiration and influence, the protagonist’s fleeting visits with a kindly adult lead to a new practice, and a new community interaction. Delicate ink and watercolor spreads from Leng (Piper Chen Sings) trace late afternoon shadows, the antics of the child’s dog, and twilight that dyes walls pink, echoing the story’s yearning notes. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 3-7. (May) - Copyright 2025
Booklist - 05/01/2025 Walking a dog through the neighborhood, a child often sees a woman through her open window. At the child’s home, the windows are covered by curtains, and the child is intrigued that the woman keeps her window unobstructed. Over time, they exchange greetings, and the narrator learns that the woman is a writer. While the words of the text are spare, the ink-and-watercolor illustrations demonstrate the child’s changing perspective. One day the woman is gone, and soon the house is for sale. During an open house, the child visits the home and appreciates having the chance to experience the neighborhood the way their neighbor did. Subtly building on the idea that children initially see only their own points of view before developing empathy and understanding of others, the narrator grows in the ability to take a wider view and even make a new friend through sharing the neighbor’s perspective. This book would be useful to encourage children to look at their own surroundings in new ways and consider what they may be missing. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
