The Face at the Window [Hardcover]

Regina Hanson (Author), Linda Saport (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 1997 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Dora learns to overcome her fears of a mentally ill woman who lives in her community in this gentle and compassionate story set in contemporary Jamaica, West Indies.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?A picture book about peer pressure and understanding the handicapped. The setting is Jamaica and all conversation is in dialect that is sometimes heavy. Dora is teased and shamed by two older classmates until she follows their lead. She throws a stone and knocks a mango out of a tree in the yard of a mentally ill woman who sees her through her window. The youngsters scare Dora by telling her that, "Any time Miss Nella show her face at her window, something terrible goin' to happen." The friends believe the woman is a witch who can change children into two-headed chickens and rides a three-legged horse. When heavy rains come, Dora is sure she has caused a disaster. She finally confesses her fears to her parents, and they explain that Miss Nella has a sickness in her mind and that she is feared because, "Some people afraid of what they don't understand." Dora visits Miss Nella with her parents to apologize and decides to befriend her. Saport's illustrations of dark pastels support the mood of fears, voodoo, and threatening weather. Oranges, blues, browns, and greens depict the Caribbean people and landscapes. Hanson's story shows universal emotions in children?change the setting and the dialect and it could happen in any small town or suburb in the U.S.?Betty Teague, Blythe Academy of Languages, Greenville, SC
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 6-8. Although this picture book set in Jamaica has a longer text than most and includes some dialect, many children will relate to the story. Dora is frightened walking to school past Miss Nella's house because the old woman seems to see things that aren't there and has "such strange and scary ways." According to school-yard rumor, she changes children into two-headed chickens. Goaded by her two older companions, Dora joins them in throwing rocks at the mangoes on Miss Nella's tree, but her rock hits the door. When her parents learn how terrified Dora is, they take her to meet Miss Nella and help her understand that their neighbor is mentally ill but will not harm her. Created with pastels, the warm, often dark colors of the impressionistic illustrations help convey the story's narrative and emotional content. Teachers will find this an interesting stepping-stone to discussions of mental illness. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (September 9, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395786258
• ISBN-13: 978-0395786253
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,191,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Face at the Window, June 12, 2000

By 

Tamra Kauffman - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Face at the Window (Hardcover)

I thought this book was wonderful! It teaches a great lesson of accepting and understanding the mentally ill. It addresses the fear young children have of what they don't understand and explains it in a great way. It teaches Dora, the young girl, how to be accepting of someone she considers crazy and dangerous. I highly recommend this book.