The 2006 Caldecott Medal Award winner is…  The Hello, Goodbye Window!

The publishing world possesses many special honors. Most, like the Newbery Award, are given to books of high literary merit. However, the Randolph Caldecott Medal is bestowed solely on the artistic ability of the illustrator. The Caldecott Award was named after a nineteenth-century English illustrator and is presented annually by the American Library Association. This year’s winner is Mr. Chris Raschka, the illustrator of The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster.

In this cheerfully illustrated book, a young girl tells of the experiences she has while visiting her grandparents. The story begins with the child describing the exterior of her Nanna and Poppy’s home. She highlights a number of details, including the space affectionately referred to as the “Hello, Goodbye Window.” The youngster explains that the opening is where many games, such as Peek-A-Boo, take place. Using the portal, readers are given a tour through numerous rooms like the kitchen with its “shelves full of glass jars with lots of everything in them.”
But so often, we are brought back to the window, to witness such happenings as the neighbor’s dog creating havoc in Nanna’s flowerbed or to view the twinkling stars in the night sky. The author concludes the story by having the young girl explain just how important the window is to her. She says, “When I get my own house someday I’m going to have a special ‘Hello, Goodbye Window’ too. By that time I might be a Nanna myself.” Reading those thoughts, we realize that the window is not just an ordinary space. It is a cherished gateway for a young girl’s imagination.

Readers of all ages will enjoy this book because of the fond memories it will conjure. I can recall, as a young child, always being excited to visit my grandparent’s farm located just two miles north of Schuyler. The source of my excitement was the “Banana Bush.” To the untrained eye, this special yew looked like all the others, but for my brother and me this special hedge grew two of the ripest, yellow bananas you’ve ever seen!

The next time you’re looking for a book to read to your children or grandchildren, stop by the Columbus Public Library and check out The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster. The artist’s “sunny portraits of family love” are sure to transform your reading experience into warm memories the children in your life will not soon forget.