Caldecott Medal Winner: Hello Good Bye Window

The 2006 Caldecott Medal Winner, Hello Good Bye Window, is an excellent book with beautiful, vibrant illustrations.  The young narrator tells her story about visiting Nanna and Poppy’s , big house.  She gazes through the kitchen window, which she sees is more than just an ordinary window, it is more like a magical window.  This window is where everything important happens, activities which are mostly ordinary, but are made extraordinary.    This relates with many children and how they view the time spent at their grandparent’s house.  It related especially with me and my memories of when I was younger and those special times that I spent time with my grandparents.  I have some of the simplest, ordinary memories with my grandparents but yet they still stick with me as being extraordinary because of I spent time with them. 

The illustrations are imaginative, colorful and somewhat abstract and child-like.  The illustrations are what first captured my attention.  One of the most interesting aspects about this book is the illustrations and how they portray a racially diverse family.  Interracial families are very common in families today, but are not seen very often in children’s books.  I believe that many children and adults will enjoy reading this book and they will be able to relate to it.