The Neighbors

Author/illustratorEinat Tsarfati’s picture book The Neighbors is the story of a young girl envisioning a more exciting life that “celebrates both imaginative power and the way great imaginations sometimes miss what’s closest to them” (Publishers Weekly, Starred Review). As a young girl climbs the seven stories to her own (very boring!) apartment, she imagines what’s behind each of the doors she passes. Does the door with all the locks belong to a family of thieves? Might the doorway with muddy footprints conceal a pet tiger? Each spread reveals—in lush detail—the wilds of the girl’s imagination, from a high-flying circus to an underwater world and everything in between. When the girl finally reaches her own apartment, she is greeted by her parents, who might have a secret even wilder than anything she could have imagined! “This book is one delightful, imaginative reveal after another, ending with a fabulous double-twist chuckle. The text is simple and elegant, supported by absolutely charming images, and it’s icing on the cake that the illustrations are so internationally inclusive.” —Booklist (Starred Review)