Book-Based Skill Builders

Secret Word
based on The Hello, Goodbye Window
by Juster, illustrated by Chris Raschka
Grades: K–3

View and print the student activity sheet (PDF)

About the Book
This book explores Nanna and Poppy�s house through the eyes of a young girl. She finds that the kitchen window is more than just a way to view the outside. It is almost magical how the window can be used as a mirror, or used to say hello to the garden or even view the stars at night. Lively illustrations by Chris Raschka accompany the young girl as she shares with readers the treasures throughout her grandparent�s house. Throughout this story you feel the love that this granddaughter feels while she visits her Nanna and Poppy. You will never look through a window in quite the same way again!

Set the Stage
Use the following to get the students ready to read.

• Review the book cover with students. Ask them to guess who the characters on the cover might be?
• Show students the Caldecott Medal on the cover. Explain that this medal is awarded each year to the artist who illustrates the best American picture book. It was named in honor of the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott.
• Show an inside illustration from the book. Ask students how they think the artist, Chris Raschka, created the illustrations for this book.

Review
After reading the book, discuss the following:

• How do you think the young girl in the book feels about her grandparents, Nanna and Poppy?
• Ask students to share what special names they may have for their grandparents.
• Check student�s comprehension of the book by asking them to name some of things the young girl saw through the �Hello, Goodbye Window�.
• Select several illustrations from the book to show to the class. Ask students why the illustrator used this style of art for the book. Why did the artist use such bright colors?
• Show some other books illustrated by Chris Raschka, such as Yo! Yes? or Arlene Sardine and compare the art in these books. You can chart the likenesses and differences that students find between the artistic styles used.

Student Activity
Students will use the clues to find the secret word.

Related Activities
To extend the students� comprehension of the book, try these:

• Window to the World: Have students create a window into their imaginations. Students draw or trace a picture onto tracing paper of what they would like to see in the �hello, goodbye window�. Then glue the picture to the edge of a cardboard frame so it resembles a window frame. Students can share their imaginative windows with the class and tell why they chose to create the picture they did.
• Classroom Families: Have students bring in several pictures of their grandparents or favorite relatives to create a family page. Each photo should have a sentence about why these people are a special part of their lives. All the pages can be collected into a classroom album that shows the wonderful diversity of your classroom families.
• Impressionist Art: Illustrator Chris Raschka uses an impressionistic style of art in his illustrations in The Hello, Goodbye Window. Select several other impressionist artists to study with the class. Find pictures in a book or online to compare their artwork to the illustrations by Chris Raschka. Students can even try their own hand at creating an impressionistic painting and have an art show in the classroom or display them in the hallway.
• Family Tree: Even young children are interested in where their relatives came from and what their life was like when they were young. Share your own family tree with students so they have an understanding of how family information should be displayed in a family tree. Have students create their own family tree that includes at least three generations. They should include first and last names, birthdates, death dates (if applicable), and children that were born. For younger children you can have them just show names and photos. They can display this information on a chart or web diagram, many diagrams are available online. Have some students share their family trees with the class.
• Biography Box: Students can select a family member to learn more about and create a box with information about this person�s life. You can use a simple shoebox and have students interview their family member to collect important information about their life. Start with the basics of name, birth date, birthplace, where they work, hobbies they may have and how they are related to the student. Students can ask the family member for some small items that may represent them to add to the biography box or students can draw and cut out some items that represent their family member. Have students do an oral presentation for the class on their special family member.

(PDF)
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