Hello Hello
by Brendan Wenzel
Chronicle Books (March 2018)
Fiction * Endangered Animals
Audience: Ages 3 to 6
Indiebound | WorldCat
Description from GoodReads: This gorgeous follow-up to the Caldecott Honor–winning They All Saw a Cat explores another aspect of seeing the world for young children. Beginning with two cats, one black and one white, a chain of animals appears before the reader, linked together by at least one common trait. From simple colors and shapes to more complex and abstract associations, each unexpected encounter celebrates the magnificent diversity of our world—and ultimately paints a story of connection. Brendan Wenzel's joyous, rhythmic text and exuberant art encourage readers to delight in nature's infinite differences and to look for—and marvel at—its gorgeous similarities. It all starts with a simple "Hello."
Quick thoughts on the book:
From the cover and through each page of the book, the bright colors jump off the white pages in a lively and celebratory style that makes readers want to read Hello Hello again and again.
In addition to the bright colors and fabulous array of animals, the simple text expose young readers to simple contrasts such as spots and stripes and dots and size.
This is one book that I definitely don't want to share my only copy so I will be picking up a couple of additional books for teachers.
Look for a copy of Hello Hello at your local indie bookstore or community library.
A note about Endangered Species Day:
Hello Hello showcases species classified as endangered, vulnerable and threatened from around the world and beautifully demonstrates how the earth’s creatures are connected . Hello Hello has been described by the New York Times as, “ spreading its arms wide, introducing the staggering range of species that share the earth” and lauded by the Wall Street Journal as “ a subtle exhortation to notice the beauty and variety of animals, especially rare and endangered ones. ”
To further efforts to protect wildlife around the world, Publisher Chronicle Books has made a donation of $25,000 to the Wildlife Conservation Society in honor of the publication of Hello Hello.
About the author/illustrator: Brendan Wenzel is an illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY. His work has appeared internationally in children’s books, animations and magazines. An ardent conservationist, he is a proud collaborator with many organizations working to ensure the future of wild places and threatened species, especially within Southeast Asia. Check out his website, here.