A. BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
Juster, Norton. THE HELLO, GOODBY WINDOW. Chris Raschka, illustrator.
New York: Michael Di Capua Books/Hyperion, 2005.
B. PLOT SUMMARY: This is a story of a little girl who is lucky enough to have her grandparents, Nanna and Poppy as her best friends. She stays with her grandparents while her mom and dad are at work each day. Nanna and Poppy spend most of their time in the kitchen. It truly is the heart and hearth of this home so much so that it reminds me of old Irish cottages where the indwellers believe that Brigid, whether goddess or saint looks over them. In the kitchen are "lots of drawers to take stuff out and play with." The love and acceptance of the grandparents for the unnamed little girl are manifested in the hello, goodbye window as they play peek-a-boo, blow kisses, and play make believe. The child narrator talks about the family looking out the window and seeing their reflections at night. 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. An engaging story about a happy, happy family that sees each other on a daily basis the way most families use to do. Both grandparents are creative and exuberant as is the little girl.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS with Cultural Markers and Established Standards of Excellence
Besides the bright and always optimistic drawings of Raschka the first thing I noticed was the positive portrayal of an interracial couple. Nanna is clearly a woman of color and Poppy is not. I believe that is a very good portrayal of many modern families. Kids need to see others that look like themselves and this book will let children of two races do just that. Our little pre-school girl looks lighter than Nanna and darker than Poppy. That realism almost goes unnoticed because of the sunshiny drawings and the quick movement from one activity and room of the house or yard to the other. The characters are fleshed out as much as possible I believe in a book of this size and grade level. Both grandparents have a good sense of humor, Poppy is a trickster who sprays little girl with the garden hose and hides bananas and raisins in the little girls hot porridge.
A key factor of a quality picturebook, that the illustrations are as important if not more so than the text is realized in this volume as they meld seamlessly to give the book a nice cadence and flow. What one may take away from the book is the mood of bright enthusiasm even more than the plot line. As mentioned earlier the art style is definitely naive. It looks like a 6 year old has just discovered craypas, oil pastel crayons and has been coloring all day in a smooth yet disjointed fashion. Poppy's big nose, Nanna's hair that is curly like our protagonist. The point of view is definitely is the little girls. The setting is realistic but this little girl most likely sees her grandparent's home as an enchanted castle. The pacing of the book fits well and both the words and pictures appeal to the senses and encourage the imagination of the reader. Many times the little girl and Poppy are pictured in a position that makes them look like they will take off flying at any moment. That keeps with the whimsical and flowing nature of the story in word and graphics. At the end of the story we see that little girl's mom and dad are also a biracial couple. This is handled gently and naturally so as to give the book an imaginative feel and never a didactic one.
The drawings exhibit an intense naive quality. Colors don't stay in the lines of the items portrayed. It looks very like a 5-7 year old colored and painted each page with enthusiasm and without stopping to censor herself but let her imagination run free.
From a strictly personal point of view the story resonated very deeply with me. My grandmother gave me what she called "machine toys" from the sewing machine and kitchen and I enjoyed similar daily interaction with one set of grandparents. The fun loving and kitchen dwelling grandparents reminded me of my parents and the compelling sense of humor of the adults in the book also remind me of family, of home. I very much did not like the style of drawing except for the cover of the book though I can see how it would be positive for a child to see this type and ability of artwork were acceptable and well thought of. Maybe it would inspire a youngster to create a project for the student media festival or PTA reflections contest.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
As seen in School Library Journal:
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 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, 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.
Booklist weighs in:
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 skyFROM:
REVIEWS ACCESSED from:
http://www.amazon.com/Hello-Goodbye-Window-Norton-Juster/dp/0786809140/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7575722-4136600?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189825431&sr=1-1
E. CONNECTIONS:
The joyful interactions of a child with grandparents and lust for life characters remind my of the Vera Williams series that begins with A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER which precedes this title by nearly 25 years. My favorite grandparent book is Aliki Brandenberg's THE TWO OF THEM where the little girl and her Greek grandfather have fun,happy, loving days of adventure but that story ends of a realistic and sad note so it would be recommended only after thoughtful consideration. Both Juster and Raschka have many other popular picturebooks for the reader to choose from.
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