Night Windows

A boy moves with his parents to a new city and feels lonely. He doesn’t have anyone to play with and only sees the faces of strangers rushing through the streets. He wants to run away, but instead finds a bench where he can watch his neighbors through their apartment windows. He has discovered a new world. Each night the boy watches and gets to know his neighbors, even if it is from a distance. Then one night, someone joins the boy on the bench and introduces him to the other neighbors. They throw a party and the boy makes some new friends. The city has finally become his home.

For those children who have had to move away from friends, Night Windows will touch their heart. Told in lyrical rhyme with a sing-song quality to the text, the story captures all the emotions a child feels at having to leave behind the familiar for a new and scary place. But the book also captures a child’s sense of adventure at discovering his new home and meeting new friends. Aart Jan Venema’s illustrations use bold colors that are chaotic and strange, like the city and the people they represent.