The Hello, Goodbye Window

The Hello, Goodbye Window. ISBN 0-7868-0914-0. Norton Juster. Chris Raschka. 2005. Caldecott Award. Ages 4-8. Caucasian and African American.

The Hello, Goodbye Window, by Norton Juster, tells the story of a little girl visiting her grandparents, Poppy and Nanna. Each time she visits her grandparents, she must pass by the "hello, goodbye window" which faces the front yard from their kitchen. She tells of all the fun things she does with her grandparents, including those things that include the window, like tapping on it from the outside upon arrival, seeing reflections in it at night, looking at the stars through it before bedtime, watching for guests like the pizza man, and finally saying "goodbye" through the window when mom and dad come to pick her up. She explains how at that moment, when mom and dad come, she feels happy and sad, and that it is possible to feel those two emotions simutaneously. The story is told from the perspective of the little girl, which is clear when she states that nothing happens while she's napping, until she gets up. This story shows the strong love that exists between a grandchild and her grandparents.

The pictures in this book consist of vibrant primary and secondary colors throughout. They are made with pastels and watercolors, and are drawn in a way that looks like a child could have drawn them. I would use this story in a classroom to talk about grandparents, and what sorts of activities we do with them. I'd also mention feeling happy and sad at the same time and would ask the students when they've felt that way. Each child could draw a picture of their own grandparents and themselves doing something together, using pastels.