The Hello, Goodbye Window

On the title page, a little girl springs away from her parents; turn the page, and the reader sees only her arms on the gate, the reader taking her perspective as she looks over to the white clapboard house where her Nanna and Poppy’s faces stare equally eagerly out of the Hello, Goodbye Window.

The exuberant tot proceeds to spend a thoroughly idyllic overnight with her loving grandparents, the stay punctuated by a harmonica serenade, a bike ride (“Not in the street, please”) and a nap. Juster adopts the voice of the child, whose present-tense narration is just right, describing pleasures (saying good night to the stars) and perils (the tiger at the back of the garden) with a steady, sweet candor. Raschka’s mixed-media show more illustrations are characteristically loose and energetic, depicting this happy, biracial family with jewel tones and extravagant swirls.

As the little girl unwinds at the end of the stay, she imagines the many possible visitors who might come to the Hello, Goodbye Window—but no one is more happily welcomed than her parents, who pick her up after her picture-perfect day. (Picture book. 3-7)

-Kirkus Review show less

I really enjoyed the Hello Goodbye Window. I liked how the author managed to show how the child had a very loving and humorous relationship with her grandparents, and how the simple things in life are meaningful and etched in memories. The illustrations have very bold colors and somewhat childlike features, giving it just the right touch to appeal to young readers.This book also had another very important underlining message. The fact that the parents and grandparents were biracial couples stuck out to me. I thought that was a very nice touch to the story. The importance of a child feeling they belong is very important even though they have parents from two different races or ethnicities.

I recently read, "The Hello, Goodbye Window," by Norton Juster. I liked this book for several reasons. First, I liked how the story was easily relatable. For example, the narrator sleeps over her grandparents house. I found this relatable because I used to sleep over my grandparents house when I was younger, too. Secondly, I liked the illustrations. I liked them because they were very colorful and enhanced the story line. The pictures enhanced the story line because it looks like the narrator, the little girl, drew the pictures. Furthermore, I liked how the illustrations depicted the ethnicities of the characters in the story. The grandmother and the little girl both looked as if they were African American. I liked how this detail was show more not written in the story because it made the fact that the family was multicultural look normal, as it should be. Lastly, I liked the story because of the main idea. The main idea of the story is to enjoy the time spent with family because like anyone else, they can become your best friends. This idea is evident in the story because the little girl tells the reader about all the fun times she has with her grandparents. show less

Summary:
This book is about a little girl who spends a lot of time at her grandparent's house. There is a special window in her Nanna and Poppy's kitchen (the hello, goodbye window) that is described as the "magic gateway". The little girl is especially attached to this magic window because so many important parts of her life are centered around the window. She can see the stars from the window, say hello and goodbye from it, and even see her reflection in it. She has a strong bond with not only her grandparents, but also the hello, goodbye window.
Personal reaction:
I loved how detailed the little girl was as she narrated this story. I could hear her sweet little voice in every word. This book reminded me of the priceless memories I have show more of visiting my own grandmother as a little girl. I read this book to my two children and they loved it too, especially my 5 year old as he could relate with the little girl.
Classroom extensions:
1. Since this book portrays the bond between a child and her grandparents, I would read this book to my students on or around Grandparent's Day. I would discuss the special relationship we have with our grandparents.
2. I would discuss the imagination aspect of this book. The little girl described many different things that can occur in the window, like the Queen of England visiting. I would have my students use their imagination and describe what they would see or do in the window. show less

I really enjoyed this book! This book allows the readers to think back to their childhood and relate a lot to the little girl in the story. I love the illustration in this book. I especially like how the grandmother and grandfather were a bi-racial couple and that it was never mentioned in the story. I feel like that allows the readers so see it's not a big deal who you love and everyone can be happy together. It also shows children that every family is different because they might not have a bi-racial couple in their family or have to go to their grandparent's house when their parents are at work. I really liked this story and would definitely read it to my future class.

Using a mixture of crayon and watercolor Rascka's naive style perfectly matches Juster's spot-on childlike tone. Beyond the brightly colored illustrations and simple, yet exuberant, text what also makes this a standout are the multi-race couples depicted with no comment. Most authors and illustrators would be tempted to make this a lesson on racial tolerance but Juster and Raschka just leave it as the way things are without making a big hairy deal out of the issue. A refreshing breath of fresh air.

I was surprised how much I loved this picture book! The cover is not very attractive or eye-catching. I'm familiar with the artist, but it's not particularly to my taste, so it would have been something I'd pass by. However, the story is beyond sweet, especially for anyone who has grandparents that they adore, or who is a grandparent! It describes the relationship and the uncomplicated loving interactions perfectly. The story is narrated from the perspective of a young girl with the charming egocentrism of the very young: "When I get tired I come in and take my nap and nothing happens until I get up." I grew to love the messy artwork; it reminded me of how a child might draw, very indistinct and imprecise, but of course with loads of show more technique from the accomplished artist. I thoroughly enjoyed this title and think it would do well in storytime but also as a lapsit story, hopefully from a grandparent to a little one! show less