Neighbors

K-Gr 2–A little girl is moving into a new apartment and is happy to have her own room. As she settles in, she begins to wonder about the people living all around her—above, below, next door—and what their lives and daily activities are like in comparison to her own. Although they are very close in proximity, they are in a sense quite far away, unless or until she gets to know them. In a moment of existentialist contemplation, she even wonders: What if there is nothing and no one at all beyond the walls of her room? Fortunately, she is soon bridging the gap between herself and her neighbors as she ventures out and meets her first potential friend. Saturated black-and-white watercolor illustrations are broken up with small touches of red to identify the main character’s placement in the vignettes. As she ventures outside of her apartment, brighter colors subtly begin to emerge signifying an awakening to the wonders of the expanded world beyond her own home. As she takes the first steps away from home and toward her new school, she then begins to wonder what her new classmates will be like.