In Plain Sight: A Game

A young girl named Sophie, who "lives with Mama and Daddy and Grandpa," engages in a daily game of hide and seek with her grandfather in this engaging inter-generational family story. Each day she returns home from school and immediately greets her Grandpa, who asks her to search for some lost item in his room. Hidden in plain sight, these items and the search for them provide a ritual that allows the two to spend some fun time together. Then one day, when Grandpa is resting, Sophie decides to hide something herself...

A warmhearted exploration of the loving bond between grandparent and grandchild, In Plain Sight is illustrated by the immensely talented and renowned artist Jerry Pinkney, recipient of numerous awards, including the show more Caldecott Medal for his The Lion and the Mouse. The text here is engaging, but it is Pinkney's artwork that really makes the story, depicting a wealth of material - the fact that Grandpa is in a wheelchair, the importance of his cat companion, who is featured on almost every two-page spread - not explicitly included in the text, as well as expanding upon and accentuating the emotional core of the story. This is really a lovely book, one which opens a window (or a mirror, depending upon the reader's identity) into the daily lives of a contemporary African-American family. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories featuring African-American families, disabled people, or the grandparent-grandchild bond. show less

"In Plain Sight" is a visual delight, of course that's no surprise considering it is illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. The story initially appears to be an ordinary story about the time a grandfather and granddaughter spends together, but this book offers so much more. Its magic is in the discussions it can facilitate when a child shares this book with an adult. The two go on an I spy journey, finding items, but what is the significance to where the grandfather placed his "lost" item? This would make a wonderful bedtime or repeated reading story as it provides fresh topics with each read. And the cat in the story is a delight to see page after page, showing as much personality as a real cat.

This book is so well written and the illustrations help children to participate actively while reading. I love how the author develops Sophie and her Grandpa's relationship by using misplaced objects as a means to develop meaningful conversation. This heart-warming story shows a little girl, Sophie, and her grandfather bonding over stories that stem from misplaced objects. The author uses repetitive language in order to enhance the books true meaning. Every day after school, Sophie says, “Here I am, Grandpa!” Her grandfather always replies,“Ah, Sophie, how was your day?” In addition to this, the illustrations also were very effective and it allowed the book to be interactive between a teacher and their class. The last thing that show more I enjoyed about this book is the use of voice. Sophie has a really strong and inquisitive voice in the book and it makes the book feel rich and authentic. This book is so well thought out and would be perfect for a parent or caregiver to read to their child at the end of the night. I would include this in my book selection in my future classroom. show less

This is a heart-warming story for ages 4-7 about the close relationship between a little girl, Sophie, and her grandfather, who lives with her and her parents in a cozy brownstone apartment. The grandfather is confined to a wheelchair, and so Grandpa “lives by the window.”

Every day when Sophie gets home from school, he asks her to find some everyday object he claims to have misplaced. It is usually in plain sight so readers can find it easily along with Sophie. The placement of the objects also reveals something about the Grandpa’s past, so readers can surmise he was a policeman, and he used to play football, and he loves to read and play checkers with Sophie.

The full-bleed pencil and watercolor illustrations by award-winner Jerry show more Pinkney are lovely, with a warmth that reflects the relationship between Sophie and Grandpa. In each picture Grandpa’s cat plays a role as well, which will add to its charm for young readers.

Evaluation: This would make a good book for parents and children to have a participatory reading, in which the kids can help find the missing objects and identify all the interesting details in Grandpa’s room. show less

This book is about a young girl who has a special game of "hide and seek" that she plays with her ailing grandfather. Each day when she visits him he tells her he's lost something (a paperclip, his pencil, etc.) and she finds it. The reader can play along by scouring the illustrations and trying to find the missing item, though it might be difficult as a read aloud to a whole class. This is a playful story, but goes nowhere. You could use it as a tie-in to a unit on family or multi-generational studies.

Sophie comes home from school every day to great her grandfather. He asks her to help him find something that he has 'misplaced' in the room somewhere. She inevitably finds it hiding 'in plain sight'. But what does Sophie do the day she arrives home and her grandfather is still sleeping? This is a tender story of the affection between a young girl and her grandfather. It was fun to look at the illustrations for the items her grandfather 'misplaced' for her, I even spotted a couple of them in the illustrations before Sophie found them. Pinkney once again delivers with his beautiful and touching illustrations

In Plain Sight is about a young girl and her grandfather. The story talks about them playing a special game sort of like " I spy ". The grandfather wouldn't ask her to look for missing things, but for things that were right in front of her. This book shows how being around your family can be a very memorable moment during a child's childhood. I really enjoyed reading this book because it reminds me of the many fond memories I have from being around family , especially grandparents.