Juster, N. (2001). The Hello Goodbye Window. [New York]: Scholastic.

This cute story shows a young child’s perspective of a visit to a grandparent’s house. The special window in the kitchen is the first and last place they see each other. It is also a fun backdrop for many activities from star gazing to glimpses from imaginary visitors.

I loved this adorable tale that reminded me vividly of my own grandmother’s kitchen window. I enjoyed the way the illustrations complemented the story adding details (like the “tiger” that is really a house cat) and the visiting T-Rex, which is just an eye as large as the window.  The illustrator, Chris Raschka also did a wonderful job creating the characters with features that add emotion, but also seem to fit almost any reader (the character could be a boy or girl of many different racial backgrounds.)  Over all, this was a very enjoyable story that I will love sharing with students and other children often.