Say Goodbye… Say Hello

Stella is sad as she says goodbye to her Mum to go to school. There, she meets and says hello to her new friend Charlie. The charming illustrations show the emotions on the children’s faces and in their body language and this makes a great starting point for discussions with young children.

The book thoughtfully explores themes of joy and friendship, as well as sadness and loss. The author cleverly includes a range of relatable examples to show how every goodbye can lead to a hello. For instance, saying goodbye to sitting alone becomes hello to sitting together; goodbye to outside becomes hello to inside; and goodbye to long walks, butterflies, and the sun becomes hello to long talks, fireflies, and the stars.

The narrative sensitively addresses loss when Stella says goodbye to her goldfish. This moment is beautifully expressed as “goodbye to an empty bowl is hello to a full heart,” as Stella and Charlie draw pictures to remember Gilly. After this poignant moment, the tone lightens, returning to the warmth of Stella and Charlie’s friendship, which young children will find easy to relate to—goodbye to only watching becomes hello to joining in; goodbye to giving up becomes hello to one more try. The story also portrays the loss of friendship when Charlie moves away, but even after the sad goodbye, we see them writing letters to each other and Stella beginning to make new friends.

The author clearly understands young children and this picture book is both beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written. It sensitively handles emotions that young children may experience, promoting the development of social and emotional skills and awareness. This book is a valuable resource for anyone who cares about and/or works with young children.