The Hello, Goodbye Window
Written By Norton Juster and Chris Raschka
Children's Picture Book Ages 3-6
Rating: 3/5

A little girl's narrative about what it is like to hang out with her Nana and Poppy for the day!

Opinion: This book won the Caldecott Honor Medal, which to me is sort of confusing. The illustrations and the coloring of the book is obviously very creative and has many different styles and textures, but to me it is a little much. It can come off looking smudged, juvenile, and a bit mushy and confusing in my opinion. It looks as though it took a lot of work to make it, but it doesn't quite fit. The plot is sweet and brings back memories of childhood, but is a little blase. Kind of list-y, like "I do this, I do that." It is worthy to note though that the little girl's grandparents are an interracial couple; Poppy is white and Nana is African-American. This is nice to see in a children's picture book and can reach a wide variety of audiences.

Curriculum Connection: This could be good for a writing activity about family or your favorite memory from your family's house (Not everyone has grandparents that are alive). It could be used to talk about different kinds of families because they are two different races, if you are working at a particularly diverse school.