The Budding Bookworm: Award-Winning Books for YA!: The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster

Juster, N. (2005). The Hello, Goodbye Window. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Hyperion Books for Children. Unpaged, $15.95

What is so special about the window at Nanna and Poppy's house?

This book is about a little girl who visits her Nanna and Poppy’s house, and looks at the world around her, inside and outside, through a window in the kitchen. Everyone calls it the “Hello, Goodbye Window” because through this window they can see what is happening in the world. The little girl talks about life with her grandparents and the different activities she does with them, such as helping Nanna in the garden and playing with Poppy outside when it is hot. She also loves playing peek-a-boo through this window, and when it is time to leave, she says so long to Nanna and Poppy through the window, knowing that she will soon get to say hello through the window soon enough.

Five- and six-year-old children will like this book. I thought this book was very adorable. The pictures are very colorful and drawn like someone in this age group drew them. The text is well-written and easy for children in this age group to comprehend. Children might be able to relate to it if they have enjoyed visiting grandparents or other relatives, as it shows the special relationship a little girl has with her grandparents. The title refers to the winow through which the little girl greets and says so long to her grandparents whenever she visits them. I think the title refers to the window that the author looks through when visiting her grandparents and looking through the window out of the window (from inside) and not wanting the fun times with her grandparents to end and into the house (from outside) and looking forward to the next time she visits them and thinking about the fun times she'll have with her grandparents.