Say Hello, Rachel Isadora, 2010
I may not be the most outgoing individual, but social norms dictate that when people greet me I should acknowledge them. Thanks to Say Hello, I no longer need to wonder about the appropriate salutation, which is impressive considering the linguistic barriers I face.
In the book, our protagonist goes on a journey though the city greeting urbanites of various ethnicities and cultures in their own languages. Spoiler alert: the book concludes with ice cream for everyone except the doggie, so it’s a mostly happy ending. I don’t yet travel much, but with this book m. and d. have me set on a path to be quite the cosmopolitan global citizen, at least for my Christmas trip to Ontario. And what better first word to learn in any language than “Hello”?
If there’s one board book illustration method that I’m pleased to see making a resurgence, it’s collage style art. No longer relegated to the greats of board book canon such as Eric Carle and Jack Ezra Keats, the form is finding new life with artists like Ed Young and Rachel Isadora. I’d like to join their ranks, but m. and d. keep the scissors out of my grasp. If anyone has a ladder I could borrow, provided they set it up for me… and climb it—but also, take the scissors down and pass them to me—their efforts would be much appreciated.
I love this book so much that I find saying “goodbye” to Say Hello an insurmountable task. I insist that m. and d. start from the beginning as soon as we’ve finished it. Most importantly, there are plenty of doggies, so I give this book many doggies in appreciation.
5 out of 5 doggies
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