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Goodbye, Old House
A joyful story about moving house and embracing change from a much-loved, award-winning team.
Honor Book: CBCA 2020 Awards, Book of the Year, Early Childhood
This is the last time I'll fish in this river ...
This is the last time I'll run through these trees ...
This is the last time I'll dream by this fire …
Goodbye, old house. Goodbye.
A heartwarming story of letting go and starting anew, of moving from the country to the city, with a unique illustration style that allows room and space for the reader's imagination. Printed on FSC-certified paper with vegetable inks.
Honor Book: CBCA 2020 Awards, Book of the Year, Early Childhood
This is the last time I'll fish in this river ...
This is the last time I'll run through these trees ...
This is the last time I'll dream by this fire …
Goodbye, old house. Goodbye.
A heartwarming story of letting go and starting anew, of moving from the country to the city, with a unique illustration style that allows room and space for the reader's imagination. Printed on FSC-certified paper with vegetable inks.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published September 14, 2021
About the author
Margaret Wild
135 books112 followersMargaret Wild is one of Australia's most highly respected picture-book creators whose award-winning children's books are loved by children all over the world. Margaret has published over seventy picture books for young children and she has been the recipient of the Nan Chauncy Award and the Lady Cutler Award for her contributions to Australian children's literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 12, 2021
Richie’s Picks: GOODBYE, OLD HOUSE by Margaret Wild and Ann James, ill., Blue Dot, September 2021, 32p., ISBN: 978-1-7362264-5
“There are places I’ll remember
All my life though some have changed”
-- Lennon & McCartney (1965)
“Our little tyrants ensure that we are quaking in our boots at the very thought of disrupting their daily routines, and moving to a new house is sure to do just that. The reason for the upset is in large part due to the change. Our babies are creatures of habit so the idea of leaving their rooms, their home, their friends behind and living in a new house is sure to wobble them to their very core. Moving house is stressful enough for us (fairly well adjusted and mature) adults so we can only imagine the strain it can put on the fragile little minds of our halflings.”
-- MummyConstant (2017)
“This is the last time I’ll sleep in this house.
Goodbye, kitchen.
Goodbye, bathroom.
Goodbye, living room.
Goodbye, big bedroom.
Goodbye, my bedroom.
Goodbye, old house. Goodbye”
At my age, there are plenty of places I remember. Once in a blue moon, during travels back to the East Coast, I’ll drive around to the three homes I shared with my parents over my first twenty-something years, along with the stately old brick-faced house my grandparents lived in, where I also spent many a glorious night.
A recent MacArthur Foundation study concluded that “Residential moves during early and middle childhood have long term effects on socio-emotional outcomes, suggesting that stability is particularly important early in life.”
There are a multitude of reasons why it nevertheless becomes necessary for parents to move their children to a new home. Fortunately, there are many excellent children’s books that focus on the challenges of being the new kid in town. The new kid in the classroom. But what about the actual transition from one physical residence to another?
GOODBYE, OLD HOUSE, an import from Down Under by beloved author Margaret Wild, is a lovely, sweet, picture book that will help prepare young kids for the possibility of moving. It also provides a framework for a wonderful ritual farewell in which children can consciously engage, as they swap a well-known space for a new, unknown environment.
The exuberant young character in GOODBYE, OLD HOUSE, drawn in black and white, is visually depicted with sufficient ambiguity as to be readily seen as either a young boy or a young girl. In the first half of the story, the child methodically bids farewell to the rooms in the house and to the special, meaningful spots in the neighborhood that have made this place home.
Then, the second half of the book will get young children psyched about the infinite possibilities offered by a change of residence.
“This is the first time
I’ll climb up this tree.
This is the first time
I’ll look over this fence.”
Illustrator Ann James has created brush and ink drawings with acrylic gouache backgrounds that are combined digitally. I love the care put into the endpapers. In the front, the child is standing on the porch, situated next to packed and labeled moving boxes, gazing out. In the back, the child is sitting on the limb of that tree they’ve just climbed for the first time, peering through the twilight at another child who is inside a nearby dwelling.
GOODBYE, OLD HOUSE, a simple-but-moving tale of transition and possibilities, is bibliotherapy at its best.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
“There are places I’ll remember
All my life though some have changed”
-- Lennon & McCartney (1965)
“Our little tyrants ensure that we are quaking in our boots at the very thought of disrupting their daily routines, and moving to a new house is sure to do just that. The reason for the upset is in large part due to the change. Our babies are creatures of habit so the idea of leaving their rooms, their home, their friends behind and living in a new house is sure to wobble them to their very core. Moving house is stressful enough for us (fairly well adjusted and mature) adults so we can only imagine the strain it can put on the fragile little minds of our halflings.”
-- MummyConstant (2017)
“This is the last time I’ll sleep in this house.
Goodbye, kitchen.
Goodbye, bathroom.
Goodbye, living room.
Goodbye, big bedroom.
Goodbye, my bedroom.
Goodbye, old house. Goodbye”
At my age, there are plenty of places I remember. Once in a blue moon, during travels back to the East Coast, I’ll drive around to the three homes I shared with my parents over my first twenty-something years, along with the stately old brick-faced house my grandparents lived in, where I also spent many a glorious night.
A recent MacArthur Foundation study concluded that “Residential moves during early and middle childhood have long term effects on socio-emotional outcomes, suggesting that stability is particularly important early in life.”
There are a multitude of reasons why it nevertheless becomes necessary for parents to move their children to a new home. Fortunately, there are many excellent children’s books that focus on the challenges of being the new kid in town. The new kid in the classroom. But what about the actual transition from one physical residence to another?
GOODBYE, OLD HOUSE, an import from Down Under by beloved author Margaret Wild, is a lovely, sweet, picture book that will help prepare young kids for the possibility of moving. It also provides a framework for a wonderful ritual farewell in which children can consciously engage, as they swap a well-known space for a new, unknown environment.
The exuberant young character in GOODBYE, OLD HOUSE, drawn in black and white, is visually depicted with sufficient ambiguity as to be readily seen as either a young boy or a young girl. In the first half of the story, the child methodically bids farewell to the rooms in the house and to the special, meaningful spots in the neighborhood that have made this place home.
Then, the second half of the book will get young children psyched about the infinite possibilities offered by a change of residence.
“This is the first time
I’ll climb up this tree.
This is the first time
I’ll look over this fence.”
Illustrator Ann James has created brush and ink drawings with acrylic gouache backgrounds that are combined digitally. I love the care put into the endpapers. In the front, the child is standing on the porch, situated next to packed and labeled moving boxes, gazing out. In the back, the child is sitting on the limb of that tree they’ve just climbed for the first time, peering through the twilight at another child who is inside a nearby dwelling.
GOODBYE, OLD HOUSE, a simple-but-moving tale of transition and possibilities, is bibliotherapy at its best.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
September 17, 2021
A child knows they are moving, so proceeds to say goodbye to their old home. It’s the last time they will fish in the river, the last time to run through the trees, the last time to pet this pony. It’s the last time to lay by this fire, the last time to sleep in this house. They say goodbye to each room from the hall, leaving a message for the new owners on the wall. Then it’s time for a lot of first moments. The first time to jump over these cracks, the first time to push open the gate, and the first time entering the new house. They say hello to all of the new rooms from the hall. They discover a window seat in their new room, complete with a message from the previous child who lived there.
Wild is a master storyteller. In this picture book she takes very simple lines of farewell and discovery and turns them into a story that is immensely poignant. The angst of moving, of losing all the beloved elements of your life comes full circle here as the child celebrates the current moment of firsts and hellos to their new home. The text is utter simplicity, allowing the emotions to come through without being described at all.
The illustrations by James are captivating. She shows the androgynous child and their homes in stark black and white with engaging expressions and body language. Beyond the windows of the homes and outside, the world is awash is color from the watercolor of the flowing river to the sun on the hills to the orangey tones of the new home.
A moving book that takes time to deal with goodbyes but also celebrates new discoveries too. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Wild is a master storyteller. In this picture book she takes very simple lines of farewell and discovery and turns them into a story that is immensely poignant. The angst of moving, of losing all the beloved elements of your life comes full circle here as the child celebrates the current moment of firsts and hellos to their new home. The text is utter simplicity, allowing the emotions to come through without being described at all.
The illustrations by James are captivating. She shows the androgynous child and their homes in stark black and white with engaging expressions and body language. Beyond the windows of the homes and outside, the world is awash is color from the watercolor of the flowing river to the sun on the hills to the orangey tones of the new home.
A moving book that takes time to deal with goodbyes but also celebrates new discoveries too. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
January 9, 2023
Concept, design, text, and art all worked together so very well. I definitely recommend this if you have a little one moving to a new home. And, I recommend it to every young child, tbh. Just a lovely charmer. I also like that "Sam" is a child, rather than a boy, a girl, or a bunny stand-in.
December 10, 2022
Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Children
Type: Book
Worth?: Yes
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Children
Type: Book
Worth?: Yes
August 19, 2021
Author Margaret Wild and illustrator Ann James adopt an appealing approach and perspective to the home-leaving, home-finding, home-making process. GOODBYE, OLD HOUSE shifts to the perspective of a canny and caring little character who is already owning their transition. The leaving process is revealed by lifting them off the impressionist-styled scenes to the forefront with a black-line-on-white, loosely drawn identity. This intentional child collects significant experiences for one last time: fishing, woodland runs, pony petting, and good-byes to each room and home-location.
In each case, they convey a sense of peace about the departure; not joyful, but also not melancholy.
Then, with the same deliberate, in-the-moment awareness of good-byes, they experience many "This is the first time..." "Hello" scenes in a new house-to-become-home.
This is a story of a child who is able to make an empowered transition from a prior home to a new one, regardless of the reason for the move. It suggests that the geographic locations, physical properties, or particular details of the buildings themselves, HOUSES becoming HOMES depends on the embrace of their residents. The ability to do that, for children especially, is in direct proportion to preparation and attitude conveyed by their adult caregivers/family.
This is a book that should be shared with/recommended to any adults who anticipate moving, for any reason. It is also a wonderful book for story time and story-sharing in libraries and classrooms. The child who inhabits this story is ambiguously gendered and aged, conveys familiar emotions that invite connection, and models an open and adventurous attitude while holding close the memories and experiences of their past. The art style itself allows young audiences to imagine themselves being overlaid on this experience of moving, viewing themselves as the constant and stabilizing factor in life changes.
In each case, they convey a sense of peace about the departure; not joyful, but also not melancholy.
Then, with the same deliberate, in-the-moment awareness of good-byes, they experience many "This is the first time..." "Hello" scenes in a new house-to-become-home.
This is a story of a child who is able to make an empowered transition from a prior home to a new one, regardless of the reason for the move. It suggests that the geographic locations, physical properties, or particular details of the buildings themselves, HOUSES becoming HOMES depends on the embrace of their residents. The ability to do that, for children especially, is in direct proportion to preparation and attitude conveyed by their adult caregivers/family.
This is a book that should be shared with/recommended to any adults who anticipate moving, for any reason. It is also a wonderful book for story time and story-sharing in libraries and classrooms. The child who inhabits this story is ambiguously gendered and aged, conveys familiar emotions that invite connection, and models an open and adventurous attitude while holding close the memories and experiences of their past. The art style itself allows young audiences to imagine themselves being overlaid on this experience of moving, viewing themselves as the constant and stabilizing factor in life changes.
October 3, 2021
‘This is the last time I’ll fish in this river”. “Goodbye, Old House” opens with a young child saying good bye to everything in their old space. Goodbye to the river, the yard, the mouse, the house and their bedroom. Exactly in the center of the book, with the transition being a double spread of the child and mom driving in a car, the book turns from saying goodbye to saying hello. Now we follow the child as they say hello to the outside of the new house, the gate, the yard and finally rooms and their new bedroom. This is a fantastic transition book for kids on the move. Although a might bit too jolly in saying goodbye perhaps, it does show that it is possible to look forward to being in a new home. Acrylic gauche backgrounds are colorful and luminous while the main character is shown in black and white pen and ink. Stark and colorful all in the same spread makes the main character jump off the page.
July 26, 2021
I received an electronic ARC from Blue Dot Kids Press through Edelweiss+.
Heartwarming story about a young girl moving from one home to a new one. She takes her time doing a final tour of everything that matters to her. There is a clear sense of goodbye and an overtone of sorrow as this happens. Then she and her mom take a car ride and the mood begins to shift. She greets everything in her new home and neighborhood that will become important to her. The mood lifts and hints of peace and excitement come through clearly. So much is done with the few words Wild chooses to use and the powerful illustrations that bring out the emotional responses.
A must have for any family making a move with children.
Heartwarming story about a young girl moving from one home to a new one. She takes her time doing a final tour of everything that matters to her. There is a clear sense of goodbye and an overtone of sorrow as this happens. Then she and her mom take a car ride and the mood begins to shift. She greets everything in her new home and neighborhood that will become important to her. The mood lifts and hints of peace and excitement come through clearly. So much is done with the few words Wild chooses to use and the powerful illustrations that bring out the emotional responses.
A must have for any family making a move with children.
July 29, 2021
A lovely, lovely book about moving! The illustrations are so pretty--somewhat watercolor-style with nicely drawn characters too. I love how this book threads the needle between sentimentality and resilience. Sam obviously loved their old home and that was handled respectfully and carefully. But, at the same time, Sam was also optimistic and open to all of the new possibilities in their new home too. This is a wonderful message for kids--you can miss what you leave but also find new things to appreciate.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this for any kids with a transition coming up. It's a very healthy, graceful take on goodbye and hello!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
I would wholeheartedly recommend this for any kids with a transition coming up. It's a very healthy, graceful take on goodbye and hello!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
May 18, 2022
Cleverly done, this remains an Issue Book with an intent other than entertainment, but it is still a most suitable and appealing one. It concerns a girl going through her neighbourhood and then her house, saying goodbye to everything she will experience for the last time ever – but bouncing straight back after the journey to the city with all the hellos and first times she can count. It's clearly then about reassurance, that upping sticks for the whole family isn't the end of everything. The style is great, too – two very different visual approaches interposed, so the girl and her immediate surroundings are rough and ready and black and white, but the world she lives in is more crafted and colourful in the background. A strong four star success.
January 16, 2022
Similar to Goodnight Moon, a child says goodbye to different parts of their old house that they won't see again and to different memories they won't have again. Not having super detailed illustrations makes it easy for children to picture it is themselves saying goodbye to these different places and memories. It's also (I think fortunately so) not clear is this move is for a happy or sad reason, so it can be relatable to more children.
November 16, 2024
I really enjoyed this buoyant picture book about a young girl moving house.
The background artwork has lots of smeary pastel or dark paint, with the girl and what she's touching shown in white with charcoal outlines. It was quite an unusual style and worked really well to show this girl's exuberance.
There is no fear or sorrow about the move here, but plenty of goodbyes followed by plenty of hellos!
The background artwork has lots of smeary pastel or dark paint, with the girl and what she's touching shown in white with charcoal outlines. It was quite an unusual style and worked really well to show this girl's exuberance.
There is no fear or sorrow about the move here, but plenty of goodbyes followed by plenty of hellos!
October 5, 2021
*I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. This is an honest review.
Super sweet, super simple book that honors the sadness and need to say goodbye and reflect as you leave a place, and also the excitement of saying hello to a new place as adventures and memories await. Because it's so simple, it makes space for a child to dialogue and explore feelings they might be having.
Super sweet, super simple book that honors the sadness and need to say goodbye and reflect as you leave a place, and also the excitement of saying hello to a new place as adventures and memories await. Because it's so simple, it makes space for a child to dialogue and explore feelings they might be having.
February 1, 2022
Perfect for that transitional moment of moving from one house to another, if you're fortunate enough to live in a house. I would definitely incorporate this into a "Moving" theme for storytime, which I used to do often but haven't revisited in a long time. It's time to resurrect and refresh it with new titles and ideas, starting right here.
August 27, 2021
This is a book of goodbyes and hellos as a child moves from the country to the city. There is sadness in leaving but also anticipation and excitement about the new residence.
Veg*n families note: A brief reference to fishing opens the story.
Veg*n families note: A brief reference to fishing opens the story.
August 28, 2021
I also found the character to be very endearing. Somehow I was reminded of characters in old favorite books, books by authors like Beverly Cleary, Roald Dahl, and E.B. White.
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
October 6, 2021
* I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway
The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous. The story, however, was cute, but left something to be desired. Overall, it was a good picture book.
The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous. The story, however, was cute, but left something to be desired. Overall, it was a good picture book.
Read
December 3, 2021Fabulous illustrations but classes are examining books to try to predict the Caldecott winner and the author is Australian. Oh well - worth a read, especially with military kids who move a lot. There are subtle hints that this move might be due to divorce (no dad), but never stated.
November 10, 2022
I cute book illustrating the different changes and how to better embrace them. While I didn't like that that active characters were depicted in black and white while everything else was in color, I thought it was interesting.
August 11, 2023
A lovely book about a major transition in a family’s life. What a wonderful idea to say “Goodbye” to and old house and hello to a new one. I would have welcomed this book and this idea during the many moves in my life.
Want to Read
April 3, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
Read
September 11, 2021This would make a great mentor text for the end of school-have kids write about saying good bye to one grade and hello to the next grade.
September 28, 2021
Very cute, I wish the child had not written on her wall.
October 8, 2021
A good picture book. Good illustrations. I won this book through good reads.
November 29, 2021
A child marks the last encounters with familiar things in and around the house the family is leaving, then notes the first time encountering things in the new place.
December 26, 2021
Valuable resource for kids who are transitioning into a new home or situation.
February 7, 2022
Two thoughts:
1. I love Sam's open gratitude and optimism
2. I can't help thinking Marie Kondo would love this book
1. I love Sam's open gratitude and optimism
2. I can't help thinking Marie Kondo would love this book
February 20, 2022
A child moves from the country to the city, saying goodbye to her old house and its memories and hello to new experiences in a new house.
March 8, 2022
Sam says goodbye to her old house and hello to the new one. Sam is drawn in black and white, giving her a sense of solidity and stability in the changing scenes.
May 23, 2022
A great book of endings and new beginnings. Illustrations would make a great art lesson too!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews