Windows
About the Story
Before the town goes to sleep, you can take a walk, out your door and into the almost-night. You might pass a cat. Or a friend. And as you go down your street, around the corner, you might see windows lighting up one by one, until it feels like you are walking through a neighborhood of paper lanterns.
And you can imagine. — from the book jacket of Windows
Great Reads from Great Places 2019
From Windows by Julia Denos; Illustrations by E.B. Goodale
Discussion Questions
Do you have a favorite walk you take in your neighborhood? What do you pass by? What do you look forward to seeing?
On your favorite walk, who usually goes with you? Is it a person? Is it a pet? Or maybe there’s an object that you carry with you wherever you go?
What time of day do you most often walk through your neighborhood? Do you notice different things depending on the time?
If your window was illustrated in Windows, what would it look like? What would someone see?
Activity 1
Draw a map of the route that you take on your favorite walk. Be sure to add in your favorite spots along the way.
Be sure to add yourself and the person you most often walk with to your map!
Activity 2
What would your window look like? Create your own, using whatever materials you think bring your window to life best.
Photo credit: Susannah Bothe
Illustrations by E.B. Goodale from Windows
Meet the Author
Julia Denos is an award-winning author and illustrator of books for children (young and grown). Her titles include the ALA Notable, SWATCH, The Girl Who Loved Color (Balzer+Bray), Here & Now (HMH) and Ezra Jack Keats Honor and Massachusetts Book AwardedWindows (HMH), both illustrated by E.B. Goodale.
About Windows, she says, “When I was a student living in Somerville, Massachusetts, I used to take walks through my neighborhood right before day changed to night. I’d pass by all kinds of windows showing me pictures of all kinds of lives, connecting our perspectives from street to street in a kind of starry constellation. Windows were glowing worlds beckoning me in while reminding me of home. I love the idea of being outside and being inside and feeling cozy in both places at once.” Julia Denos now lives in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Meet the Illustrator
E. B. Goodale is a designer and illustrator who has a strong background in stationery. This is her debut picture book.
About Windows, she says, “The illustrations in this book are meant to honor the wonder of a late afternoon in autumn, using my neighborhood in Somerville, Massachusetts, and the children on my street as inspiration. I live in a vibrant community with lots of people and a wide variety of architecture, which made my home the perfect setting for such a sweet story. This book is a tribute to my wonderfully eclectic little city.”