Quick Booktalk
Following two little girls from the time they meet to the time one of them moves away, this book highlights the new opportunities presented by every goodbye.
About the Illustrations
The pictures in this book are in a style that would be suitable for a graphic novel, though most pages do not have speech bubbles or other graphic novel elements. Since the text is more abstract, the specificity of the illustrations is what really carries the story. The characters' personalities and their friendships comes through visually even when the text is more philosophical and vague. Though a few pages have details that are better seen up close, for the most part the bold lines and contrasting colors can engage the eye at a distance as well. Readers who keep score regarding diversity will be pleased to note a variety of skin tones and clothing styles in the background of many of the pictures.
Story Time Possibilities
I like this book for a variety of themes: hello and/or goodbye, opposites, friendship, moving, etc. The text on each page is minimal enough for toddlers and young preschoolers, but the subject matter as a whole makes it best suited to a pre-K or young elementary audience. There are quite a few scenes set in school that also make this a natural choice to read to a class on the first day of a new school year to help break the ice.
Readers Advisory
The most obvious uses for this book are either to comfort a child after a difficult goodbye or to make children feel at home in a new situation, Other books that would pair well with this one include
Timothy Goes to School by Rosemary Wells and
Rosie and Rasmus by Serena Geddes, both of which involve making new friends and saying goodbye. It also made me think about
Duck and Penguin are Not Friends by Julia Woolf, which has a similar illustration style and gives a different take on friendship.
Disclosure
I received a finished copy of
Goodbye Friend! Hello Friend! from Penguin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
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