Between Two Windows
by Keisha Morris; illus. by the author
Primary    Harper/HarperCollins    48 pp.
1/24    9780063235106    $19.99

Kayla and Mateo live on the top floors of separate buildings in a city, connected by an old, squeaky clothesline. They are bored and alone in their drab bedrooms watching “Dino World,” while the outside world is bright with sunshine. One day they greet each other through their windows and begin to send drawings along the clothesline. Mateo draws with a purple crayon, Kayla with a green one, and together they create elaborate worlds that they inhabit—shades of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Eventually, they trade various foods between them, which leads to fanciful new prehistoric creations (such as the “pastelito-saurus” and the “piragua-saurus”). When a worker takes the clothesline down temporarily, Mateo and Kayla come up with another way to continue their adventures. They go outside and draw on sidewalks, old building walls, and playgrounds in a colorful palette beyond purple and green. Morris’s collaged tissue-paper spreads add to the childlike feel; the lively illustrations invite readers to create their own crayon worlds. This appealing story by a debut author-illustrator celebrates friendship and creativity in a satisfying way.

From the January/February 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.