Transitioning...: Goodbye Brings Hello: A Book of Firsts by Dianne White

There are many ways
Of letting go.

With each goodbye,
A new hello.

It's a paradigm and a paradox.

In life change is a constant.

For kids the changes come fast. Some can come hard, like the first day of school. Some can be liberating, like big kid shoes.

Loop the laces.
Knot the bows.

So long.
Velcro covered toes!

Chunky crayons held in a chubby fist give way to penciled letters sitting right on the line. The door to home closes, the school bus door opens with a shooosh, and the school doors wait to be opened with the whole world inside. Leaving safety behind sometimes means finding new adventures.

Ringing bell.
Preschool trike.

Wind in your face,
Big-kid bike.

Changes, changes! Dianne White's Goodbye Brings Hello: A Book of Firsts (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018) promises that when one door closes, another opens, and this positive take on the changes life brings is happy, positive look at the challenges in early life.

It's easy to chuckle at childish fears, but changes can be scary at any age. Some are a little sad; even ditching a favorite but outgrown pullover or a much loved Teddy for something new is hard, and truth to tell, change often requires leaving something behind to embrace the unknown. Along with White's perky rhymes, artist Daniel Wiseman's illustrations capably hint at how hard it is to give up one safe place for one unknown but likely worth it in the long run. Facing firsts, like the first day in a new school, takes courage, and this comfy read-aloud book can help kids go forward.