Windows

There are almost always exceptional picture books at library sales. For just a few dollars, I bring home a variety of artwork that’s hidden inside them. Gary Blythe paints the seashore of a grandmother’s childhood. (1) Ted Rand shows a flock of sea birds as seen from the boat of a Vietnamese fisherman and his young son. (2) Jeanette Winter pictures far off places that Nasreen learns about in her secret school. (3, 4) In these three examples, the artists use windows in their illustrations.

I recently got to wondering how a window could fit into my next collage composition. A quick internet search unearthed “Sendak’s Windows” posted by E. Duthie on the blog We read it like this (Nov. 3, 2014). They presented on the topic of windows in Maurice Sendak’s illustrations at a meeting of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. (5) Duthie describes many of Sendak’s windows as boundaries between reality and fantasy. Reality is inside. Fantasy (and danger) outside. And yet, they add, “One of the things that most interests me about Sendak is that in his work reality and fantasy are never two entirely separate realities. The line between the two is absolutely permeable.” I retrieve my copy of Outside Over There (6) when Duthie describes how goblins in this story climb in through a window and steal a baby. Then, Ida floats out the window to save her little sister.

This reality vs fantasy dichotomy helps me process Lilly’s midnight visit to the shore to watch the whales of her grandmother’s memories. Does she really venture out alone to the water’s edge, or is she dreaming? The dichotomy also helps with Chris Van Allsburg’s story about the evil Monsieur Bibot. In one picture, startled diners look out plate glass windows at Bibot in his underwear. He’s caught in magic. (7, 8) Margie Florini’s cut paper pictures of children’s dreams float from their bedrooms out windows into the night sky. (9, 10) Illustrations like these require readers pay attention and think about what’s happening.

Why do so many windows appear in Sendak’s illustrations? Duthie writes, “Sendak was a sickly child, and this gave him plenty of chance, as a young kid, a teenager and into his twenties, to look out and watch, observe, listen and draw what he saw and write down what he heard. . . All the sketch books he filled while leaning out of his window were essential groundwork for his illustration career . . .” I love learning about how ideas originate.

I’m happy enough with windows that just complement a story with additional content. Ira Wordworthy grumbles about children sitting on the steps of his general store. “‘Why can’t they take their books and flip those pages someplace else?’” But Wendy Edelson paints a sad face on him, an expression of longing, as he looks out a window at the children. On a few panes of glass are taped notices he’s unable to read. When Ira does learn to read, “his mind was even better as he read book after book after book.” (11, 12)

To finish up, let’s look into a window rather than out of one. Karen Ritz paints a father and son driving home with Spike, their new dog. They’ve rescued Spike from an auto parts junkyard. The owner was just about to take the dog to the pound for failing to frighten away a robber. Spike is terrible at guard duty. In a two-page spread, we can see—and even feel—the new owners’ joy by looking through the front windshield of their truck. Father, son, and dog are on their way home. (13, 14)

(1) Sheldon, D. (1991). The Whales’ Song. New York: Dial Books.

(2) Garland, T. (1998). My Father’s Boat. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

(3) Winter, J. (2009). Nasreen’s Secret School. New York: Beach Lane Books.

(4) Picture Book Talk. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nasreens-Secret-School-Reading-Comprehension-Afghanistan-10354371

(5)https://wereaditlikethis.blogspot.com/2014/11/sendaks-windows.html

(6) Sendak, M. (1985). Outside Over There. Harper Collins.

(7) Van Allsburg, C. (1993). The Sweetest Fig. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

(8) Picture Book Talk. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Sweetest-Fig-Reading-Comprehension-greed-dog-pet-12698555

(9) Collins, L. (2012). The Pajamas of My Dreams. Jamaica Plain: Three Bean Press, LLC.

(10) Picture Book Talk. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Pajamas-of-My-Dreams-Reading-Comprehension-career-hopes-11901513

(11) Cosgrove, S. (1989). Ira Wordworthy from the Land of Barely There. Portland: Multnomah Press.

(12) Picture Book Talk. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ira-Wordworthy-Reading-Comprehension-learning-to-read-12954143