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

“The Hello, Goodbye Window” is an adorable picture book that would be appropriate for any child as long as it is read aloud. The main reason I thought this book was so great was because it is written as if the child is telling you about it. For example, “Nanna says she even used to give me a bath in the sink when I was little – really!” and when the child decided that she would have a Hello, Goodbye window in her house when she grows up too. When I was reading these parts to myself I could imagine the child's voice filled with excitement. It also explained everything from that child's perspective. “You can be happy and sad at the same time, you know, it just happens that way sometimes.” This quote stuck out to me most, it show more was very simply put but held a lot of meaning. The big picture of this story was that family traditions are something to value. show less

"The Hello, Goodbye Window" was precious and imaginative. It centers around a front window at a grandparent's house. The little girl can always wave and make silly faces before she goes inside to see her grandparents. The book goes on to describe all the fun things she does at her grandparent's house like play in the yard, eat yummy raisin and banana oatmeal, and ride her bike. At the end of the book, the little girl's parents come to pick her up. They had been working all day so I think this could be a relatable book to some children who are often babysat by their grandparents while their parents are working. The illustration was beautiful, colorful, and messy but in the best way. The window shows her imagination with a dinosaur show more walking past, or the queen of England coming to have tea. I loved the way this book found all the things to be grateful for about an ordinary window. show less

This is an expression of love devoted to that special relationship between grandparents and grandchild. For this little girl, her grandparents' kitchen window is a magic gateway. Everything important happens near it, through it, or beyond it. Told in her voice, her story is both a voyage of discovery and a celebration of the commonplace wonders that are expressed as a mix of words with energetic illustrations.This little girl's world will grow, but will never be more magical or heartfelt than the love she knew at her grandparents' house.

The style of this book is interesting for two reasons: the illustrations are meant to look as if a child has drawn them, and the dialogue is of a little girl describing the window of her grandparents' home. The illustrations are a slightly overwhelming mirage of swirls, colors, shapes, and sizes, but allow the reader to connect more deeply with the speaker. She describes the daily activities of the visits to her grandparents' home, and upon arrival, how she greets them at the kitchen window. As she puts it, an extra amount of time with them. They spend a lot of time in the kitchen, with the window, staring at the stars, weather, reflections, or imagined dragons. It is this window that she gives an extra goodbye when her parents come to show more retrieve her, and that is why she calls it the hello, goodbye window. She wishes to have one of her own someday. This story is a moving one of love, appreciating the small things in life, and the special relationship between grandparent and child. show less

Lets start with I love the illustration and the unique colors and doodles. I really want to know what medium is being used. I think it might be pastels. As for the story, boy did it remind me of my grandparents. We didn't have a window but I remember at the end whenever I left they always watched and waved goodbye. There was never a moment where I walked myself out the door. She has a great imagination and I love the way she talks about her visit and that it is in the eyes of her. She even made me crave some oatmeal!

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.