Picture Book Review #3

Here is my final picture book review.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Juster, Norton. 2005. THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. Ill. by Chris Raschka. New York, NY: Michael Di Capua Books. ISBN 0786809140

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In Norton Juster’s first picture book, and the 2006 Caldecott Medal winner, a little girl tells about her experience with the Hello, Goodbye Window, a special window at her Nanna and Poppy’s. We learn of the different people and things she imagines seeing through the window (including T-Rex!). We also see what the girl’s relationship is like with her grandparents. She is very close to them as shown by the last page of the book-“When I get my own house someday I’m going to have a special Hello, Goodbye Window too. By that time I might be a Nanna myself. I don’t know who the Poppy will be, but I hope he can play the harmonica.”

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story is set at a little girl’s grandparents' house where there is a Hello, Goodbye Window. The title may indicate that the book is about the Hello, Goodbye Window, but the implicit theme of story is about the special relationship between the little girl and her grandparents. The girl talks about all the things they do together when she comes over-ride bikes, work in garden, etc. The reader can also tell how much the grandparents care for the girl by their concern for her safety-“Not in the street please” and by the fun they have together-“Poppy chases me with a hose.”

Juster uses a variety of writing techniques. He tells the story through the eyes of the little girl, so the words are simple and show a sense of innocence-“When I get tired I come in and take my nap and nothing happens until I get up.” Juster also uses short and long sentences to create balance. In addition, some objects are treated as if they were human, such as “say goodnight to the stars” and “say good morning to the garden.” To show imagination, the letters are all capitalized when the girl is describing who she may see in the window. People she wants to see include Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Pizza Delivery Guy, and the Queen of England. Finally, the story is told in first person and the little girl talks directly to the reader, as shown when she is describing her emotions about being glad to be going home, but sad to be leaving Nanna and Poppy-“You can be happy and sad at the same time, you know. It just happens that way sometimes.” Any child can relate to this.

Chris Raschka uses a naïve style for his illustrations that gives the appearance of being childlike, kids’ drawings, which ties in with the little girl telling the story. The pictures are almost abstract with no clear lines or boundaries. The hues and colors are bright and bold, creating a fun, happy mood.

The story actually starts on the dedication page with a picture of the little girl hugging her parents goodbye. It continues in a double spread on the bibliographic and title pages, with the girl skipping to the grandparents hose, while the parents wave goodbye. We first see the grandparents’ house with the Hello, Goodbye Window, looking through the girl’s eyes. Then, text comes in, leading the reader to the house, and directing their eyes to the grandparents face in the Hello, Goodbye Window. The rest of the illustrations are viewed from outside the scenes.

The illustrations support the text and add elements to the story. Everything described by the girl in the text, the reader sees in the illustrations, including the jars in the kitchen. We also learn something in the illustrations that is not mentioned in the text. The little girl is biracial. Both Poppy and her father are white and Nanna and her mother are black. The little girl is depicted with a mix of both colors.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal (starred review)
"…The first-person text is both simple and sophisticated, conjuring a perfectly child-centered world…While the language is bouncy and fun; it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family. The artwork is at once lively and energetic, without crowding the story or the words on the page; the simple lines and squiggles of color suggest a child's own drawings, but this is the art of a masterful hand.

Booklist (starred review)
"…The window imagery is less important than the title would make it seem. More intrinsic is Juster's honest portrayal of a child's perceptions (a striped cat in the yard is a tiger) and emotions (being happy and sad at the same time "just happens that way sometimes"). Raschka's swirling lines, swaths, and dabs of fruity colors seem especially vibrant, particularly in the double-page spreads, which have ample room to capture both the tender moments between members of the interracial family and the exuberance of spending time in the pulsating outdoors, all flowers, grass, and sky.”

5. CONNECTIONS
* Poppy play’s “Oh, Susannah” on his harmonica. Get a copy of Stephen Foster’s song and teach it to the children for a music lesson. You can also get some cheap harmonicas for the children to practice playing.

*The little girl telling the story remains nameless, but has special names for her grandparents, Nanna and Poppy. Discuss how our name makes each of us special individuals and have children share (if they know) how they were named. Then, have the children come up with a special name for the little girl.

*Have children share their ideas and experiences related to the book:
-As you read through the book, stop and ask the children what kind of things they like to do with their grandparents, who they would imagine if they had their own special Hello, Goodbye Window, ect.

*Other books for children about family and relationships:
Dorros, Arthur. ABUELA. ISBN: 0525447504
Williams, Vera B. A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER. ISBN: 068800914X
Say, Allen. GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY. ISBN: 0395570352

Happy Reading!
Lonnie