Oliver at the Window - Hardcover

Elizabeth Shreeve grew up in a family of writers and scientists, chasing butterflies and otherwise scaring the daylights out of small creatures in the local marshes and fields. A graduate of Harvard College and Graduate School of Design, she lives in northern California.

Candice Hartsough McDonald was born in a midsize midwestern city. One day she was given some crayons to color with. She has never stopped drawing. A graduate of the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis, Indiana, she has taken part in art exhibitions across the city and beyond. She lives in Indianapolis.

PreS-K—Young Oliver has a full plate: his parents are divorcing, he now lives in two houses instead of one, and he recently began attending a new preschool. These major upheavals have taken a toll on his confidence. Oliver holds tight to his stuffed lion for courage as he watches life from the sidelines. Instead of playing with his classmates, he stands at the window watching and waiting for one of his parents to pick him up. 'Sometimes Oliver went to his dad's house, sometimes to his mom's. He was never quite sure.' Lion is always close by—glimpses of him can be found in each picture. Gradually, as the seasons change, Oliver begins to join activities and to interact with his teacher and the other children. When a new, and very forlorn, girl joins his class, Oliver offers friendship. In a moment of understated triumph, Lion is left on a stool in front of the window while, hand in hand, the boy accompanies the girl to snack time. Soft, pastel colored-pencil illustrations, similar to those by Paul Yalowitz in Eileen Spinelli's Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch (S & S, 1991), create a cozy atmosphere with subtle humor. A gentle, charming book.—Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI