The Hello, Goodbye Window

by Norton Juster

Other authorsChris Raschka (Illustrator)
Hardcover, 2005

Status

Check shelf

Call number

E J

Publication

Hyperion Book CH (2005), Edition: 1st, Hardcover, 32 pages

Description

A little girl describes the magic kitchen window in her grandparents' home.

Local notes

1010-013
Caldecott Medal winner

Media reviews

School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1-The window in Nanna and Poppy's kitchen is no ordinary window-it is the place where love and magic happens. It's where the girl and her doting grandparents watch stars, play games, and, most importantly, say hello and goodbye. The first-person text is both simple and sophisticated,
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conjuring a perfectly child-centered world. Sentences such as "When I get tired I come in and take my nap and nothing happens until I get up" typify the girl's happy, imaginative 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. Perfect for lap-sharing, this book will find favor with children and adults alike.-Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Hillsboro, OR Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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2 more
Publishers Weekly
Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth) crafts a cozy portrait of a grandchild and her grandparents in this endearing book, illustrated in paintbox colors by Raschka (Be Boy Buzz). A curly haired girl-who dances with wiggly energy in Raschka's lush paintings-describes playful visits to her Nanna and Poppy,
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whose kitchen window provides the perfect venue to say hello and goodbye. "You can climb up on the flower barrel and tap," she says, "then duck down and they won't know who did it." Her grandparents welcome her into a sunlit, spacious kitchen filled with plants, where she doodles and listens to Poppy play "Oh, Susannah" on the harmonica. At night, the "Hello, Goodbye Window" functions as a mirror, and the girl jokes about being outside looking in: "Poppy says, `What are you doing out there? You come right in and have your dinner.' And I say, `But I'm here with you, Poppy,' and then he looks at me in his funny way." Juster departs from the over-the-top punning of his earlier works to create a gently humorous account of a family's conversations and games, all centered on the special window. Raschka warms the pages with glowing yellow, emerald, sapphire and golden brown, and he pictures the garden and trees in emphatic midsummer greens. The characters smile at one another with a doting twinkle in their eyes, and grandparents especially will be charmed by this relaxed account of how a child's visit occasions everyday magic. Ages 2-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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Children's Review
A young girl takes us to her Nanna and Poppy's house to see a very special window. Most of the time her Nanna and Poppy are there in the kitchen so she can tap on the window, then hide, or they can wave at her when she arrives. We share her joy in the fun she has with Poppy's harmonica playing,
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watching reflections in the window at supper, saying goodnight to the stars with Nanna, looking through the window at the garden, playing outside. Sometimes through the window she sees people; sometimes her imagination fills it with other more amazing sights. Saying goodbye through the window when Mommy and Daddy pick her up is sad, but she looks forward to having her own "Hello, Goodbye Window" some day. Raschka turns the pages into scenes of innocent joy. His paints barely suggest objects as he applies intuitive areas of color, he then uses black lines here and there to define a face, a bicycle, a spouting hose. The personalities of the grandparents and their loving interactions with the narrator make this an engaging tale, while the artist's imagination forms something special from a bit of childhood. 2005, Michael Di Capua Books/Hyperion Books for Children, Ages 3 to 6.
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User reviews

LibraryThing member kentcj
This book is magical. I have never encountered such a wondrous interplay of artwork and story line before. The illustrations use a variety of techniques and media, and the colors and youthful style really make the book.
The book tells the story of the relationship between a young girl and her
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grandparents, Nanna and Poppy. The grandparents are absolutely delightful - they cherish their granddaughter, and embody a lighthearted, egoless approach to life that is the essence of a long life well-lived.
The magical window in the kitchen of her grandparent's house is where the young girl sees her grandparents at the start of her visits, and where she says goodbye to them when her parents come to pick her up. In the interim, Poppy plays songs for her on the harmonica, Nanna introduces her to the stars in the night sky, and the young girl fantasizes about everything from dinosaurs to British royalty that can make appearances in the window.
Don't miss this book. It will recreate the magic of childhood for you, when loving relatives and a vivid imagination combine to turn the mundane into a magical place where anything is possible.
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LibraryThing member ccondra
After reading the story have the students right about going to their grandparents house. Then they can make their own hello good bye window looking in from the outside.
LibraryThing member MarieliGoodner
This story is about a little girl who tells about her visits to her grandparent's house that begin and end with a window that inspires her imagination. Not only can she see who's on the other side of the window when she first arrives, she also uses it to pretend what's happening inside and outside
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of the house.

This story was a hit with my children. They are very close to their grandparents who use to live out in the country. Being out in the country, grandma had gardens and grandad had plenty of land for my children to explore. This story reminded them of what it was like on their visits.

In a classroom, I would ask that my students think of a special grandparent or grandfriend and have them bring in a photo of that person or draw a picture then share with the class about what makes them so special to him or her. Another idea would be to have the students draw their own Hello, Goodbye Window and then use their imagination to either write or share with the class about what they see happening through their Hello, Goodbye Window.
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LibraryThing member simss
A girl that tells about what her grandparents go around the house and talks about the window that is in the kitchen how she sees in, through, and beyond the window.

My personal experience is when I was little my brother and I would wait by the window and say hello and goodbye to my dad as he went to
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and from work.

An idea that I would use for the classroom is have students tell about their house and things they do around the house.
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LibraryThing member danielleprice
This book is about a child who visits her grandparents. At her grandparent’s house, there is a window in which she considers the “Hello, Goodbye Window.” This is the first window you pass while walking up to the house. The grandchild enjoys playing at this window, both looking in as well as
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looking out. There are games that she likes to play at the window, such as peek-a-boo and she also enjoys pretending there are other things on the other side, such as dinosaurs! While at their house, she describes many activities that she does. Some of the activities include; drawing, riding her bike, and playing kick ball. The book ends with the child’s parents picking her up. Her final hopes are to some day have a home with a “hello, goodbye window” too.
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LibraryThing member katrinafroelich
This book captures the every day experiences and emotions of a young girl. It is written from her perspective, and is honest and revealing about her mixed emotions and familial love. The illustrations are whimsical and bright, however much like a child’s first drawings, difficult to discern at
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times. (When I read this to my 4 year old, she declared she was “done” after 3pgs.
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LibraryThing member champlin
Picture Book. This is a story about a girl who lives with her grandparents. There is a window in the kitchen that you can see who is coming and going. The illustrations in this story fit the text very well. The story is told from a little girl’s perspective. The illustrations are mixed media,
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pastel, watercolor, paint and pen. The drawings are a little primitive which makes it look as if it were the artwork of the child in the story, as if she is depicting the story she is telling. The story is about family love and imagination. It is inspirational and informative. I would use this book to look at artwork in books and the concept of living with different people in a family.
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LibraryThing member Jparker03
The hello goodbye window is about a window that a little loves at her nana and poppy's house. She loves to look out or look in it. She loves to tap on it or stick her face against it. There are alot of things she does at this window.

I think it is a very cute book. The illustrations are very
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bright.

You could have your class make windows out of construction paper. You could talk about who or what they would want to come by the window like the girl in the story talks who she pretends comess by the window.
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LibraryThing member LindseyBallard
This is a cute book about a young girl who goes to visit her Nanna and Poppy regularly. She talks about the Hello, Goodbye Window as seeming like a regular window, but it's not. With this special window she can try and scare Nanna and Poppy while they are in the kitchen, they can play peek-a-boo,
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see their reflections and even say goodnight and good morning to the world through this window. When her parents come to pick her up to go home, they blow kisses from outside the window. When she grows up, she too hopes to have a Hello, Goodbye Window in her own home.

I thought this book was very cute. It was told from a young girl's perspective, which made me think some things I did when I was that age. It was very artistic and colorful, which always makes it more exciting to read.

For an extension with this book you could have your class make Hello, Goodbye Windows out of construction paper and have them tell what they would do with a Hello, Goodbye Window. Then have them share some experiences of something in their life like the Hello, Goodbye Window!
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LibraryThing member amberntaylor
This book is about a young girl, that when she goes to visit her grandparents, always gets wonderful surprises from their kitchen window. The book also tells of her special times playing, singing, playing peek-a-boo through the special window and eating breakfast with her grandparents.

This book
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was so wonderfully sweet in how it showed the world through a child’s eyes. I could feel and see everything that she felt or saw through that special window in a childish way. It made me go back in time of my childhood and remember all those wonderful feelings of grandma and poppy’s house. The funniest part, is that I truly do call my granddad, Poppy, just like the little girl in the book.

You could have the children draw a picture of what they would see out of their special window, or have three or four rotate centers while the teacher helps each group write what they would see out their window. This is also a great book to use for Grandparents Day. You could have the children make a thank you craft for their grandparents.
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LibraryThing member ingahatch
This innovative book is narrated by a young girl and explores the unique relationship between her and her grandparents and a special window they have at their house. She explains how this special window is the center of everyone’s day. The first thing they do when they get up is look out the
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window and before going to bed they say goodnight to the stars. She also claims that sometimes she will just sit and stare and many interesting things come to it like dinosaurs and the pizza delivery man.

I thought this book was creative how it was narrated by the young girl but at times it was hard to follow. The illustrations are bright and colorful but kind of look like messy water-colorings. Maybe that is the appeal to most for this book but I didn’t feel it was very good.

I would have children do their own water-color paintings and maybe have them take shoe boxes and make their own windows and items they would like to see outside their windows.
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LibraryThing member michelleramos
This book is about a special bond that a little boy has with his grandparents. He spends his days with his grandparents while his parents are a work. They have a wonderful daily routine and each day starts and ends with the wonderful hello, goodbye window.
LibraryThing member MDees
In this story, a little girl tells the story of a window in Nanna and Poppy’s house. It is called the “hello, goodbye window”. She stays with her grandparents while her parent’s are at work. Poppy makes her breakfast and she makes faces outside the window. You can tell the stars goodnight
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from the window. The little girl watches out the window because “it looks like a regular window, but it’s not.” She wonders about all the possibilities outside the window.

This is a wonderful story about a little girl and her grandparents. I enjoy the plot of this story because it takes me back to a child-like perception. It encourages the imagination. The illustrations are also child-like. At first glance, I did not like the pictures. After looking at the illustrations a while, I have concluded that young children would respond well to the pictures. They are bright and colorful.

I would use this story to teach about families. All families are different. I would also use this book to encourage creativity and would probably have a painting session in class.
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LibraryThing member h_clark
This story made me smile, thinking about my own experiences at my grandparents' home when I was a child. She loves everything about the house, and I loved how the author described all the things she saw and loved from such a childlike perception.
LibraryThing member DushiyanthiMcCarley
A little girl talks about her favorite place in her grandparent's house. Her grandparents live in a big house and her favorite place is the window which you pass before you go into the house. She calls it the hello and goodbye window. Her grand parents spend alot of their time in the kitchen,
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having meals,visiting, playing instruments and even giving the babies a bath at the kitchen sink. Before they go to bed at night they stand by the window and look at the stars. In the morning the window is the first place they go. When the little girl is tired and wants to rest she goes and sits by the window and when her parents come to pick her up she says her goodbyes to her grandparents at the window. She hopes someday when she has a house of her own she will have a similar window.

I was able to relate to this book since when I was growing up, my grand mother's house had a similar window however it was not in the kitchen but in one of the other rooms.

Extension 1. I would ask the students to paint a picture of their kitchen window and paint their favorite place in the kitchen.
2. I would also have the students write 2-3 sentences about the place in their house they like the most.
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LibraryThing member ermilligan
This is a wonderful story about a little girl and her grandparents.. It encourages ones imaginations. . The illustrations are bright and colorful, but they are not detailed. This book could be used to teach about families and how every family is different. I would also use it to encourage
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creativity and for younger children.
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LibraryThing member allawishus
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
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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 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!
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LibraryThing member claseliteratura
This book explores Nanna and Poppy’s house through the eyes of a young girl. She finds that the kitchen window is more than just a way to view the outside. The illustrations help the reader to see the treasures throughout her grandparent’s house. When you read this book you can feel the love of
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the little girl for her grand parents.
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LibraryThing member cpipkin1
In the book The Hello, Goodbye Window a little girl is talking about her Nanna and Poppy's house. Her favorite thing is a window in the kitchen. This is what she calls the Hello, Goodbye Window. She calls it this because that is where her grandparents spend most of their time, and they can see who
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is coming and going from this window. They also play games from either side of the window. She enjoys spending time at her grandparent's house. She also feels, that when she goes to sleep, everything outside the window stops, until she wakes again. When she is going home with her parents, she is happy and sad. She is happy to be with her parents but sad to leave her grandparents. When she is leaving she always stops and blows kisses to her grandparents through her special window.

I liked the story of this book. I found it very cute. It made me think back to my grandparent's home and the things I found special about it. I found the illustrations to be a bit messy though. They were abstractly done, and I am not a big fan of abstract art.

In the classroom, I would use this story to discuss family with my students. I would have the student's write their own story about something special at their grandparent's house. We could also use it to do participate in group writing and write one story about something special at their house.
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LibraryThing member CaseyRae2008
This book is about a little girl who loves to visit her grandparents house and love the window in the kitchen which is called the hello goodbye window. Her grandparents and her look out the window constantly which they believe they can see everything through it.

The Days Spent with my grandparents
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and my favorite things to do there as a child.

Talk about family or maybe even draw a picture of the favorite part of their house or grandparents house and share with the class why its so special.
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LibraryThing member CrystalReed
The Hello, Goodbye Window is a book about a little girl who tells the story of spending time at her grandparents house. The kitchen window of her grandparents house has a special window. She talks about being able to see anything through the window. She can even see a T-Rex, not very often though
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because he's extinct.

I thought that this book was a really cute book. I think it has a neat message. I like the fact that the little girl gets to spend time with her grandparents. They have a lot of fun together.

I would like to use this book as part of a lesson about respect. I think it would be good to have a lesson around grandparents day and use this book to show the kids how important family is. We would read this book and then I would talk about family. I would have each child write a story about their grandparents to give to them as a gift.
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LibraryThing member lisab818
This 2006 Caldecott winner is beautiful. Written from the point of view of a young girl visiting her grandparents' house, the book describes all of the little things about a trip to Poppy and Nanna's that make a child never want to leave. The artwork is done in an impressionistic style and
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encourages the reader to keep looking and looking at the scene.

Classroom Ideas: reading/writing connection, author compare with Phantom Tollbooth, voice
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LibraryThing member justine87
quick and fun to read. I liked the Springy pictures. This would be a fun book for grandparents to read with their grandchildren.
LibraryThing member allie_mansfield
I didn't really like this book. I thought the flow of the reading didn't go well with the illustrations. The colors used were very bold, and I like that.
LibraryThing member missrader
The story of a grandchild visiting her grandparents house and the different activities that take place. The hello, goodbye window is the place where granparents and grandchild interact with the world.

Language

Original publication date

2005

Physical description

32 p.; 11.72 inches

ISBN

0786809140 / 9780786809141

Barcode

34747000061057

Lexile

L
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