3 and 4 year-olds
GENRE
Picture book
REVIEW
In her own words and illustrated by exuberant paintings with many childlike elements, a very young girl tells us all about the many special qualities and uses of a window in her grandparents’ house. She calls this kitchen window at Nanna and Poppa’s house the “Hello Goodbye” window, stating that it “looks like a regular window but it’s not”. Through this window, she greets her grandparents as she arrives, sees what’s going on outside, looks at it as a mirror with her grandpa, and finds a myriad number of other uses, to do with both the real and imaginary world. Throughout the book, the window also serves as a vehicle through which we learn about all the things that our narrator does with Nanna and Poppa at their house, and one can see how much they treasure her. This Caldecott Award winner is highly recommended for its tribute to the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren and the imagination, and its reminder to find the joy in simple everyday things. The focus on a multiracial family is a highly positive aspect of the work. It is quite a lengthy picture book, and for this reason is recommended for three and four year olds wth good attention spans.
LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Read this aloud as part of a special Grandparents' Day celebration at the library (first Sunday after Labor Day), including grandparents reading additional stories aloud, and grandparents and grandchildren making crafts together.
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