LS 5623 Advanced Literature for Young Adults

Juster, Norton. 2005. THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. Ill. by Chris Raschka. New York: Hyperion Books. ISBN 9780786809141

Review:
The Hello, Goodbye Window is told by a young girl as she spends time at her grandparents’ house. The family spends most of their time in the kitchen, which has drawers to open and jars filled with things. And most of all there is the window, which gives the family a first look at visitors, a place to play peek-a-boo with the young girl, a view of your reflection and the stars at night, and a place to imagine what sort of visitors could come by (a T-Rex perhaps?) At the end of the day, the child must go home and expresses that she is happy to see her parents as well sad to be leaving her Nanna and Poppy.

The text is simple and phrases like, “nothing happens ‘till I get up” wonderfully catch the perspective of a young child. The illustrations, which have the look of a mix of watercolor paint and crayons, support the young girl’s point of view by creating the illusion that she’s drawn the pictures to go with her story.

While the child in the story is telling about all the fun she has, what the reader is witnessing is the love shared by this family. Not mentioned in the text is the fact that this family is an interracial family, which serves to show the reader that interracial families have just as much love as every other type of family.

Awards:
* Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards  (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
* School Library Journal Best Books of the Year (WON AWARD) 2005
* Caldecott Medal (WON AWARD) 2006
* American Library Association Notable Books for Children (WON AWARD) 2006
* Star review in School Library Journal: "While the language is bouncy and fun, it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings."
* Star review in Booklist: "Raschka's swirling lines, swaths, and dabs of fruity colors seem especially vibrant."

Connections:
*Lead a discussion on what children do at their own grandparent's house and how their grandparents show that they love them.
*Other books about spending time with grandparents:
Crowley, Mary. I Love to Visit My Grammy. 9781933002484
Bogart, Jo Ellen. Gifts. 9780590552608

Image credit: http://boniashburn.com/blog/media/1/20090826-The%20Hello,%20Goodbye%20Window.jpg