A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 108

Picture Book: Hello, Hello!

Author: Miriam Schlein

Illustrator: Daniel Kirk

Summary: This is a fun and informative picture book that explores the way various animals communicate a greeting. To say “hello” lions rub foreheads and make a humming sound. In contrast, chimpanzees reach out and touch hands, sometimes following with a welcoming hug and kiss.  I was struck with how elaborate penguins will “dance” their greetings and zebras sniff noses, do a little chewing, and then jump back. Human greetings are described at the end, perhaps as a reminder that we too are animals.

Hanna’s Comments: This simple book explores sets of surprisingly complex animal behaviors and ties them to human behaviors.  Greeting rituals in religious communities can be very specific and idiosyncratic which causes anxiety for visitors. If a community hopes to grow, hospitality should be done well, with thought and consideration for visitors. It is easy to assume that children naturally know how to be welcoming, but this isn’t the case. A lesson about hospitality that involves discussing specific positive and negative behaviors will benefit your community’s children and your community in general. There is another book with the same name by Matthew Cordell which is about how modern technology is affect our relationships and limiting our experiences with nature. 

Publisher & Date of Publication: Simon & Schuster, 2002

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 2 and up

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT Category: Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: action, affection, animals, communication, difference, diversity, emotions/feelings, hospitality, language/literacy/reading, variety

Scripture Connections: Treat the stranger who sojourns with you as a native (Leviticus 19:34); seek to show hospitality (Romans 12:13); do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book before a big event in which there will be many visitors. Talk with your children about ways they can help newcomers feel welcome and why hospitality is important to your religious community.