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Bad Bye, Good Bye
“Bad truck, bad guy; bad wave, bad bye . . .” A boy and his family are packing up their old home, and the morning feels scary and sad. But when he arrives at his new home, an evening of good byes bye to new friends, bye to glowing fireflies, bye to climbing trees. The New York Times bestselling author Deborah Underwood's spare text and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner Jonathan Bean's lush, layered illustrations perfectly capture the complex emotions of moving day. The child-centric transition from dreary morning to cheerful evening comforts young readers facing big changes of their own.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2014
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August 29, 2014
As a mother who recently spent the better part of twenty hours in a car with a three-year-old and a three-month-old baby, I feel a special kinship with parents who have also engaged in the ultimate endurance sport: travel with children. If you feel no particular sympathy for those engaged in this activity that is because you have not experienced it firsthand yourself. But even when my daughter was projectile vomiting regularly and even when the breast pump tipped to one side spilling milk all over my pants and EVEN WHEN I found myself wedged in the backseat between two car seats trying to change my son’s diaper on my lap while parked, I could still feel grateful because at least it was just a vacation. It wasn’t like we were moving to a new town or anything. Because if I’d had to deal with the abject misery of my three-year-old on top of the vomit/milk/diapers I don’t know how my sanity would have remained intact. And yet, other parents do it all the time. Every day someone somewhere packs up all their worldly possessions, their pets, and their miserable offspring and heads for a whole new life. It’s daunting. You can’t help but admire their guts. And boy, you’d sure like to hand them a book that they could use to show their kids that as scary as a move like that can be, ultimately it’s going to be okay. Enter a book so sparse and spare you’d never believe it capable of the depth of feeling within its pages. Deborah Underwood lends her prodigious talents to Bad Bye, Good Bye while artist Jonathan Bean fills in the gaps. The effect is a book where every syllable is imbued with meaning, yet is as much a beautiful object as it is a useful too.
“Bad day, Bad box” says the book. On the page, a boy wrestles with a moving man for possession of a cardboard box, doomed to be loaded into the nearby moving van. The boy, we see, is in no way happy about this move. He clearly likes his home and his best friend, who has come with her mother to bid him goodbye. On the road he and his little sister pitch seven different kinds of catfits before sinking into a kind of resigned malaise. Time heals all wounds, though, and with the help of a motel swimming pool, diners, and multiple naps, they arrive in their new town in the early evening. As the family and movers pile boxes and other things into the new house, the boy meets another kid who just happens to live next door. Together they collect lightning bugs and star gaze until that “bad bye” at the beginning of the book morphs into a far more comfortable “good bye” when the new friends bid each other goodnight.
This isn’t Underwood’s first time at the rodeo. The art of the restrained use of language is sort of her bread and butter. Anyone who has seen her work her magic in The Quiet Book is aware that she says loads with very little. I sincerely hope someone out there has been bugging her to write an easy book for kids. The talent of synthesizing a story down to its most essential parts is a rare one. In this book there is a total of 57 words (or so). These usually appear in two word pairs and by some extraordinary bit of planning they also rhyme. We begin with all “bads”. It goes “Bad day, Bad box / Bad mop, Bad blocks / Bad truck, Bad guy, Bad wave, Bad bye.” The book then slips into neutral terms as the initial misery wears off. Then, as we near the end the “goods” come out. “Good tree, Good sky / Good friend, Good bye.” Such a nice transition. You could argue that it’s pretty swift considering the depths of misery on display in the early pages, and that’s not too far off, but kids are also pretty resilient. Besides, motel swimming pools do indeed go a long way towards modifying behavior.
Jonathan Bean’s one to watch. Always has been. From the moment he was doing Wendy Orr’s Mokie & Bik books to the nativity animalia title “One Starry Night” to all those other books in his roster, he proved himself a noteworthy artist. Watching his work come out you have the distinct sense that this is the calm before the storm. The last minute before he wins some big award and starts fielding offers from the biggest names in the biz. In this book I wouldn’t necessarily have said the art was by Bean had I not seen his name spelled out on the cover. It’s a slightly different style for him. Not just pencil and watercolors anymore. A style, in fact, that allows him to try and catch a bit of Americana in the story’s pages. When Underwood writes something like “Big hair, White deer” it’s Bean’s prerogative to determine what that means exactly. His solution to that, as well as other sections, is layering. Time and landscapes are layered on top of one another. America, from diners and speed limit signs to windmills and weathervanes, display scenes familiar to traveling families. A great artist gives weight and meaning to the familiar. Jonathan Bean is a great artist.
Now the cover of this book is also well worth noting. I don’t say that about a lot of picture books either. Generally speaking a picture book’s cover advertises the book to the best of its ability but only occasionally warrants close examination. Jonathan Bean, however, isn’t afraid to convey pertinent information through his cover. In fact, if you look at it closely you’ll see that he’s managed to encapsulate the entire story from one flap to another. Begin at the end of the book. Open it up. If you look at the inside back flap the very first thing you’ll see underneath the information about the author and the illustrator is the image of the boy in the story straining against his seatbelt, his face a grimace of pure unadulterated rage. Now follow the jacket to the back cover of the book and you see the boy crying in one shot and then looking miserably back in another. The weather is alternating between a starry night sky and a windy rainy day. Move onto the front cover and the rain is still there but soon it turns to clear skies and the boy’s attitude morphs into something distinctly more pleasant. In fact, by the time you open the book to the front flap he’s lifting his hands in a happy cheer. The attitude adjustment could not be more stark and it was done entirely in the span of a single book jacket. Not the kind of thing everyone would notice, and remarkable for that fact alone.
People are always talking about “the great American novel”, as if that’s an attainable ideal. We don’t ever hear anyone talk about “the great American picture book”. I don’t know that Bad Bye, Good Bye would necessarily fit the bill anyway. This is more the picture book equivalent of On the Road than To Kill a Mockingbird, after all. It’s a road trip book, albeit a safe and familiar one. For children facing the frightening prospect of the unknown (and let’s face it – adults hardly do much better) it’s good to have a book that can offer a bit of comfort. A reassurance that no matter how things change, good can follow bad just as day follows night. They are not alone in this uprooting. Somewhere out there, in another car, with another family, there might be a kid just as miserable as they are and for the exact same reason. And like all humans this knowledge ends up being comforting and necessary. Therefore give all your love to Bad Bye, Good Bye. It has necessary comfort to spare.
For ages 3-6.
“Bad day, Bad box” says the book. On the page, a boy wrestles with a moving man for possession of a cardboard box, doomed to be loaded into the nearby moving van. The boy, we see, is in no way happy about this move. He clearly likes his home and his best friend, who has come with her mother to bid him goodbye. On the road he and his little sister pitch seven different kinds of catfits before sinking into a kind of resigned malaise. Time heals all wounds, though, and with the help of a motel swimming pool, diners, and multiple naps, they arrive in their new town in the early evening. As the family and movers pile boxes and other things into the new house, the boy meets another kid who just happens to live next door. Together they collect lightning bugs and star gaze until that “bad bye” at the beginning of the book morphs into a far more comfortable “good bye” when the new friends bid each other goodnight.
This isn’t Underwood’s first time at the rodeo. The art of the restrained use of language is sort of her bread and butter. Anyone who has seen her work her magic in The Quiet Book is aware that she says loads with very little. I sincerely hope someone out there has been bugging her to write an easy book for kids. The talent of synthesizing a story down to its most essential parts is a rare one. In this book there is a total of 57 words (or so). These usually appear in two word pairs and by some extraordinary bit of planning they also rhyme. We begin with all “bads”. It goes “Bad day, Bad box / Bad mop, Bad blocks / Bad truck, Bad guy, Bad wave, Bad bye.” The book then slips into neutral terms as the initial misery wears off. Then, as we near the end the “goods” come out. “Good tree, Good sky / Good friend, Good bye.” Such a nice transition. You could argue that it’s pretty swift considering the depths of misery on display in the early pages, and that’s not too far off, but kids are also pretty resilient. Besides, motel swimming pools do indeed go a long way towards modifying behavior.
Jonathan Bean’s one to watch. Always has been. From the moment he was doing Wendy Orr’s Mokie & Bik books to the nativity animalia title “One Starry Night” to all those other books in his roster, he proved himself a noteworthy artist. Watching his work come out you have the distinct sense that this is the calm before the storm. The last minute before he wins some big award and starts fielding offers from the biggest names in the biz. In this book I wouldn’t necessarily have said the art was by Bean had I not seen his name spelled out on the cover. It’s a slightly different style for him. Not just pencil and watercolors anymore. A style, in fact, that allows him to try and catch a bit of Americana in the story’s pages. When Underwood writes something like “Big hair, White deer” it’s Bean’s prerogative to determine what that means exactly. His solution to that, as well as other sections, is layering. Time and landscapes are layered on top of one another. America, from diners and speed limit signs to windmills and weathervanes, display scenes familiar to traveling families. A great artist gives weight and meaning to the familiar. Jonathan Bean is a great artist.
Now the cover of this book is also well worth noting. I don’t say that about a lot of picture books either. Generally speaking a picture book’s cover advertises the book to the best of its ability but only occasionally warrants close examination. Jonathan Bean, however, isn’t afraid to convey pertinent information through his cover. In fact, if you look at it closely you’ll see that he’s managed to encapsulate the entire story from one flap to another. Begin at the end of the book. Open it up. If you look at the inside back flap the very first thing you’ll see underneath the information about the author and the illustrator is the image of the boy in the story straining against his seatbelt, his face a grimace of pure unadulterated rage. Now follow the jacket to the back cover of the book and you see the boy crying in one shot and then looking miserably back in another. The weather is alternating between a starry night sky and a windy rainy day. Move onto the front cover and the rain is still there but soon it turns to clear skies and the boy’s attitude morphs into something distinctly more pleasant. In fact, by the time you open the book to the front flap he’s lifting his hands in a happy cheer. The attitude adjustment could not be more stark and it was done entirely in the span of a single book jacket. Not the kind of thing everyone would notice, and remarkable for that fact alone.
People are always talking about “the great American novel”, as if that’s an attainable ideal. We don’t ever hear anyone talk about “the great American picture book”. I don’t know that Bad Bye, Good Bye would necessarily fit the bill anyway. This is more the picture book equivalent of On the Road than To Kill a Mockingbird, after all. It’s a road trip book, albeit a safe and familiar one. For children facing the frightening prospect of the unknown (and let’s face it – adults hardly do much better) it’s good to have a book that can offer a bit of comfort. A reassurance that no matter how things change, good can follow bad just as day follows night. They are not alone in this uprooting. Somewhere out there, in another car, with another family, there might be a kid just as miserable as they are and for the exact same reason. And like all humans this knowledge ends up being comforting and necessary. Therefore give all your love to Bad Bye, Good Bye. It has necessary comfort to spare.
For ages 3-6.
April 8, 2014
OMG, I love this book. This is the PERFECT book to read when a family is moving or someone you care about is moving away. It really captures the good/bad feelings associated with making such a major and stressful life change. This will start the conversation.
March 9, 2019
Simple rhyming text, coupled with busy art, tells the story of a family on their moving day. The boy is upset about leaving behind a friend, until he makes a new friend at his new house. Illustrations contain some unusual overlapping and ghosted images that create forward movement and enhance the theme of change. Love Dinah's Dina. Without stating it outright, this picture book clearly demonstrates that the unknown is scary, but having the courage to face it brings unexpected rewards.
February 1, 2018
Very sweet story about a family's big move - from old to new - things slowly turn from bad to good.
November 10, 2021
I think my ovaries may have shrivelled a little while reading this. That beginning is so stressful! While it's a faithful representation of child angst and tantrums, I could practically hear the shrieking.
So, aside from a couple of parents who apparently did absolutely nothing to prepare their child for a move (he blames the movers, calling them "bad"), this story just shows, rather predictably, that change is good. The message might be new to some kids, but I've seen this done many times already (and in ways that didn't make me want to run out and stock up on birth control). I also really dislike the ending, which might be confusing to some kids; while adults will get the whole "bad bye, good bye" thing, a child might be fairly concerned at the final "good bye", thinking that the poor family is going to have to move again.
For much a more relaxing book about moving, check out Nicola O'Byrne's adorable Where Is Home, Daddy Bear?
So, aside from a couple of parents who apparently did absolutely nothing to prepare their child for a move (he blames the movers, calling them "bad"), this story just shows, rather predictably, that change is good. The message might be new to some kids, but I've seen this done many times already (and in ways that didn't make me want to run out and stock up on birth control). I also really dislike the ending, which might be confusing to some kids; while adults will get the whole "bad bye, good bye" thing, a child might be fairly concerned at the final "good bye", thinking that the poor family is going to have to move again.
For much a more relaxing book about moving, check out Nicola O'Byrne's adorable Where Is Home, Daddy Bear?
November 26, 2014
For the words, the only thing about this book is the word play on badbye/goodbye. Underwood also did well at writing so the rhythm stayed clear. But I thought this was the sort of overdone topic and style that editors weren't supposed to be interested in even looking at anymore. "How about a book where a kid moves away from home, but learns to feel better--and it will rhyme!?" I guess once you've got a foot in the door and you have an editor you can pitch ideas the regular public couldn't even get an agent to look at.
Bean's illustrations were interesting to look at. The way he used blurred overlays and backgrounds around the main picture gave a feeling of movement, but not using the simple drawing technique of dynamic lines. This is reminiscent of Donald Crews, who made movement with similar techniques in books like Shortcut. I felt not only movement, but also a cinematic feeling of many things happening or moving around the main figures in time with recently past images gradually fading and others coming into focus.
Bean's illustrations were interesting to look at. The way he used blurred overlays and backgrounds around the main picture gave a feeling of movement, but not using the simple drawing technique of dynamic lines. This is reminiscent of Donald Crews, who made movement with similar techniques in books like Shortcut. I felt not only movement, but also a cinematic feeling of many things happening or moving around the main figures in time with recently past images gradually fading and others coming into focus.
August 8, 2014
In only 80 words, Deborah Underwood is able to capture the raw emotion and reality of change - in this case of leaving an old home and familiar friends and moving to a new town with new surprises. From the sadness of "bad boxes" and "bad byes" to the "hot seat" and "long naps" of the journey to the "new house" and "good friend", Jonathan Bean matches each pair of words with equally expressive illustrations. His illustrations follow the mood of the story from sad blues and grays in the beginning which transition into sunny yellows and reds during the road trip and finally end in dreamy blues and warm yellows as the young boy meets a new friend. This is perfect for introducing young children to life's changes and transitions and for helping them to cope with the emotions - good and bad - that can surround a move. Includes a website with tips for a "good move with kids".
August 30, 2015
Poetic and sparse, the words help a little boy go from being mad because his family is moving, and he has to say goodbye to friends and favorite things. I love Jonathan Bean’s pictures filling the pages in overlays as they travel and as they arrive. There are moments of happiness as the boy discovers people and things that help him feel at home: “New town/New Park/New street/new bank.” The book shows well that there are two kinds of “bye”, a good and a bad one. I imagine conversations of how word meanings change sometimes can happen when this book is read.
July 4, 2014
No matter the meaning or how it is said, goodbye is edged initially with sadness; either you or someone else is leaving. When the choice to go is not yours it's even harder; in some cases an act of bravery. Bad Bye, Good Bye (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Jonathan Bean is about going from the familiar into the unknown; frightening or exciting or a little bit of both.
My full review: http://bit.ly/TIkhe8
My full review: http://bit.ly/TIkhe8
September 18, 2015
You feel the constant motion of the story with every illustration in this great little picture book about moving. So much emotion and uncertainty was captured at the beginning of the story. The nice bits of hope and interest in the new surroundings at the end. Few words are given, but few are needed to accomplish what the author set out to do. Excellent all the way around!
March 5, 2014
The difficult transition of moving away to a new home. Simply written, wonderfully illustrated.
July 14, 2014
The perfect picture book about moving.
November 14, 2014
Great book that shows some of the difficulties of moving away from a place where your established to a different neighborhood and the joys that can come in making new friends.
May 21, 2016
Poignant and SUPER efficient storytelling.
Moving (the move away, the journey, the move in).
Moving (the move away, the journey, the move in).
December 16, 2017
moving makes me sad
October 12, 2016
3.25 stars
What happened: A family is moving and one of the children is less than eager to go along. He stands by while the boxes are stacked into the moving truck, waves goodbye to his friend, and is off on a new adventure. The roadtrip itself is unpleasant--the car is packed and stuffy, it's a cloudy day, and everyone is sad and frustrated. Slowly but surely, though, the clouds clear and the tone of the story calms. The children take naps and have snacks and see a big rig go by. Once at their hotel, the family swims and lounges, enjoying some much needed relaxation. The next day, they arrive in their new town. While the movers unpack their things, the children play outside and make new friends. At the end of the day, new things go from being scary to being exciting. Bad bye, good bye.
The good: Stunning, full page illustrations really are the star of the show here. The color pallets used in each scene really capture the emotion of what's happening. As this book has no shortage of emotion, it has no shortage of colors--angry red, cool blue, and calming yellows and oranges. The writing is simple and short, with just 2 to 4 words per page, which is nuce for toddlers and preschool kids.
The not so good: While it's a positive in one sense that the prose is short, it is a detriment in another. Prose this short is usually ideal for very young children but the subject matter here is somewhat emotionally advanced. There's a lot going on here--sadness, anger, relief, contentment--and I think that, while young children feel these emotions acutely, they don't yet have the tools to express those emotions. And sure, maybe this book would give kids some of those tools. By reading a story about the journey toward emotional stability in a time of great change useful to toddlers? I don't know. I know that talking about feelings and how to manage them is important but I think hearing it in a story like this might go a little over their heads. It would take quite a bit of emotional reading and dialogue with kids for this to be as impactful as I'd like it to be and I just don't have the time to do that in a toddler storytime, so it loses some star power for that.
Who I'd recommend it to: Families that are moving, to families of kids who are going through a rough patch, etc.
What happened: A family is moving and one of the children is less than eager to go along. He stands by while the boxes are stacked into the moving truck, waves goodbye to his friend, and is off on a new adventure. The roadtrip itself is unpleasant--the car is packed and stuffy, it's a cloudy day, and everyone is sad and frustrated. Slowly but surely, though, the clouds clear and the tone of the story calms. The children take naps and have snacks and see a big rig go by. Once at their hotel, the family swims and lounges, enjoying some much needed relaxation. The next day, they arrive in their new town. While the movers unpack their things, the children play outside and make new friends. At the end of the day, new things go from being scary to being exciting. Bad bye, good bye.
The good: Stunning, full page illustrations really are the star of the show here. The color pallets used in each scene really capture the emotion of what's happening. As this book has no shortage of emotion, it has no shortage of colors--angry red, cool blue, and calming yellows and oranges. The writing is simple and short, with just 2 to 4 words per page, which is nuce for toddlers and preschool kids.
The not so good: While it's a positive in one sense that the prose is short, it is a detriment in another. Prose this short is usually ideal for very young children but the subject matter here is somewhat emotionally advanced. There's a lot going on here--sadness, anger, relief, contentment--and I think that, while young children feel these emotions acutely, they don't yet have the tools to express those emotions. And sure, maybe this book would give kids some of those tools. By reading a story about the journey toward emotional stability in a time of great change useful to toddlers? I don't know. I know that talking about feelings and how to manage them is important but I think hearing it in a story like this might go a little over their heads. It would take quite a bit of emotional reading and dialogue with kids for this to be as impactful as I'd like it to be and I just don't have the time to do that in a toddler storytime, so it loses some star power for that.
Who I'd recommend it to: Families that are moving, to families of kids who are going through a rough patch, etc.
December 4, 2014
The book I choose to nominate to win the Caldecott for 2015 is Bad Bye, Good Bye, written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Jonathan Bean. This book looks like it is illustrated using tissue paper with paper mache. It has a 2-dimentional look to it, but it really makes certain objects stand out. This type of artwork also paints a good picture of the scene for that page. There is a lot of color in certain places and black and white in others, and I think the color is meant to make the objects stand out as well. I like how they paper mache technique shows the overlapping of everything in the picture—it adds a different type of feel to the page than concrete pictures do—possibly movement, or elapse of time. The pictures are very geometric in shape, and they are just fun to look at. It makes this very simple story enjoyable to read.
The pictures are very important in this story. In most stories, the words do the talking and the pictures supplement the words to help paint a picture of what is happening. For Bad Bye, Good Bye, I feel like they have reverse roles: The pictures are telling the story and the few words on each page supplement the pictures to portray the emotion coming from that page of the boy’s life in the story. For example, on one page toward the beginning, it says “Bad truck, bad guy”, and if you did not have pictures you would have no way to know why the truck or the guy are “bad”, but with these illustrations, it shows that the guy is putting the boy’s toys on the truck, and the truck is taking the toys away. The story is interesting because, in a quick read-through, you can get a sense of how a little boy feels that is moving away. It uses descriptions that a little boy would use. For example, one page says, “bad mop”, and the illustrations show the boy slipping. A mop cannot really be “bad”, but this is how a little boy may describe it if he had just fallen in the puddle of water. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the pictures have an essential role in telling it.
The pictures are very important in this story. In most stories, the words do the talking and the pictures supplement the words to help paint a picture of what is happening. For Bad Bye, Good Bye, I feel like they have reverse roles: The pictures are telling the story and the few words on each page supplement the pictures to portray the emotion coming from that page of the boy’s life in the story. For example, on one page toward the beginning, it says “Bad truck, bad guy”, and if you did not have pictures you would have no way to know why the truck or the guy are “bad”, but with these illustrations, it shows that the guy is putting the boy’s toys on the truck, and the truck is taking the toys away. The story is interesting because, in a quick read-through, you can get a sense of how a little boy feels that is moving away. It uses descriptions that a little boy would use. For example, one page says, “bad mop”, and the illustrations show the boy slipping. A mop cannot really be “bad”, but this is how a little boy may describe it if he had just fallen in the puddle of water. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the pictures have an essential role in telling it.
November 8, 2017
Goodreads Review #9:
Summary: “Bad Bye, Good Bye” tells a story about a little boy and his family who is heading to live in a new town. The little boy is sad because he has to say goodbye to everything and everyone. He cries as they drive away leaving a friend behind. As the family and movers pile boxes and other things into the new house, the boy meets another kid who just happens to live next door. At the end of the day, he says goodbye to his new friend.
Theme: The theme of this book is that it’s never easy to move away from a place and to have to say goodbye to people that you love. However, not all goodbyes are bad.
Personal Response: I moved over 6 times with my family when I was younger. This story brought back memories of those scary and emotional moves when my family had to move from state to state every 2-3 years when my dad was in the military. This story reminded me the feeling of being so unsure and unhappy when we had to leave everything. What I love about this book the most is that it shows how we can have a tough time coping with something new but we can always get through it after some time has passed.
Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. I think this is a great story to read to kids who are going through an experience of moving far from the friends they know. Change can be scary for children. Teachers can use this as a read-aloud book and have a discussion in class. Students could discuss different situations and talk about the positive and negative aspects of moving away from a place and coming to a new place.
Summary: “Bad Bye, Good Bye” tells a story about a little boy and his family who is heading to live in a new town. The little boy is sad because he has to say goodbye to everything and everyone. He cries as they drive away leaving a friend behind. As the family and movers pile boxes and other things into the new house, the boy meets another kid who just happens to live next door. At the end of the day, he says goodbye to his new friend.
Theme: The theme of this book is that it’s never easy to move away from a place and to have to say goodbye to people that you love. However, not all goodbyes are bad.
Personal Response: I moved over 6 times with my family when I was younger. This story brought back memories of those scary and emotional moves when my family had to move from state to state every 2-3 years when my dad was in the military. This story reminded me the feeling of being so unsure and unhappy when we had to leave everything. What I love about this book the most is that it shows how we can have a tough time coping with something new but we can always get through it after some time has passed.
Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. I think this is a great story to read to kids who are going through an experience of moving far from the friends they know. Change can be scary for children. Teachers can use this as a read-aloud book and have a discussion in class. Students could discuss different situations and talk about the positive and negative aspects of moving away from a place and coming to a new place.
April 28, 2014
On a rainy day, a boy and his family are packing up the moving van and heading to live in a new town. The little boy pulls at the boxes, tugs at the movers, and cries as they drive away leaving a friend behind. As they head to their new home, gray clouds clear from the sky and the sun comes out. Maps are pulled out, naps are taken, and the day brightens. Night is spent at a motel with a pool and then the next evening they pull into their new town. Everything is different and new, a new room with new views. But there’s also a new kid, fireflies and the stars are out too.
In only the briefest of rhyming couplets, Underwood paints a clear picture of the fear of moving and the emotional upheaval for children. In their long drive though, the mood shifts to one of possibilities rather than grief. Even the journey itself is a form of coping and healing that makes the happy ending feel like a natural result of the entire process.
Bean’s art works so well here. He uses a translucent feel to evoke the dreary rainy misty day that they move on. But that same effect is used for the fumes of the traffic on the road, the speeding truck on a steep downhill slope, and the bluesy evening that they arrive. The effect offers a lot of depth to the images, creating layers to explore visually.
A book on moving that shows that moving on with your life is also part of a major family move. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
In only the briefest of rhyming couplets, Underwood paints a clear picture of the fear of moving and the emotional upheaval for children. In their long drive though, the mood shifts to one of possibilities rather than grief. Even the journey itself is a form of coping and healing that makes the happy ending feel like a natural result of the entire process.
Bean’s art works so well here. He uses a translucent feel to evoke the dreary rainy misty day that they move on. But that same effect is used for the fumes of the traffic on the road, the speeding truck on a steep downhill slope, and the bluesy evening that they arrive. The effect offers a lot of depth to the images, creating layers to explore visually.
A book on moving that shows that moving on with your life is also part of a major family move. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
September 18, 2014
The book Bad Bye, Good Bye is a simple story that conveys a very good message about moving away that anyone can relate with. The minimalist usage of certain patterns of words gives the song some what of a sing song quality that could make it somewhat difficult to read aloud but, otherwise I highly recommend it for a classroom library.
The pictures in the story in my opinion are the fuel that drives the story with the words acting as the heartbeat of the story. The way this is achieved is with a very detailed illustration followed by a set of words on parallel pages that act as simple descriptive phrases to emphasize the main characters feelings in the story which is actually done fairly effectively in the artwork.
The only problem I would say I have with the story is that at the end the main character seems to adjust to his new surroundings to quickly for my taste. This problem could be easily solved with a few additional pages but, it is not that important in the framework of the plot for me to be annoyed by it.
I believe that this book would work very well as a kindergarten and first grade story book to teach the basic emotions behind moving away and adjusting to a new home, and the artwork is very well done and surprisingly detailed despite the Picasso like proportions of some of the pictures.
The pictures in the story in my opinion are the fuel that drives the story with the words acting as the heartbeat of the story. The way this is achieved is with a very detailed illustration followed by a set of words on parallel pages that act as simple descriptive phrases to emphasize the main characters feelings in the story which is actually done fairly effectively in the artwork.
The only problem I would say I have with the story is that at the end the main character seems to adjust to his new surroundings to quickly for my taste. This problem could be easily solved with a few additional pages but, it is not that important in the framework of the plot for me to be annoyed by it.
I believe that this book would work very well as a kindergarten and first grade story book to teach the basic emotions behind moving away and adjusting to a new home, and the artwork is very well done and surprisingly detailed despite the Picasso like proportions of some of the pictures.
August 11, 2014
Having moved 27 times (thus far), I wish there were more books like this for young readers. While I know I have moved a lot, moving now seems to be part of American culture. "Bad Bye, Good Bye" is a great book for children who are about to move, or even those who are going through a major life change.
Throughout the book we see the many emotions that can come up when moving to a new home. We see both the good and bad, from sadness and anger to excitement and happiness. We also see that everyone has feelings about the move from the parents to the neighbors, and even the dog.
The illustrations by Jonathan Bean really help express the mood of this story. There is almost a layer of haze over the images where emotions are running high and things about the move feel uncertain and unclear. As we see glimmers of hope, the pictures become more clear and bright.
One of the great things about this book is that it takes the reader through many phases of moving. It shows everything from the packing of the soon-to-be old home to stopping overnight at a motel (and enjoying the novelty of an ice machine) to arriving at the new house and meeting the family next door. There is also a link on the inside back cover with more information about moving with kids.
Throughout the book we see the many emotions that can come up when moving to a new home. We see both the good and bad, from sadness and anger to excitement and happiness. We also see that everyone has feelings about the move from the parents to the neighbors, and even the dog.
The illustrations by Jonathan Bean really help express the mood of this story. There is almost a layer of haze over the images where emotions are running high and things about the move feel uncertain and unclear. As we see glimmers of hope, the pictures become more clear and bright.
One of the great things about this book is that it takes the reader through many phases of moving. It shows everything from the packing of the soon-to-be old home to stopping overnight at a motel (and enjoying the novelty of an ice machine) to arriving at the new house and meeting the family next door. There is also a link on the inside back cover with more information about moving with kids.
May 29, 2014
Moving is never easy, especially for kids. Bad trucks, bad moving guys, bad waves, and bad byes. However, at the end of that long drive is another place full of new friends, fireflies, and climbing trees.
As a person who moved almost nine times before I was nine, I appreciate a good moving story. In fact, this story brought back memories of one of those scary moves where we moved a couple states away. I remember not feeling well, mild depression, anger, crying, and a whole range of emotions in between. After not acclimating well to my new home, there were numerous tear-filled moments where I would tell my parents that I just wanted to move back home. It took many many years for my new home to really feel like that and another big move before I realized how much I had grown to like my adopted state.
The anxiety of moving, even for a child, can be considerable and anything to help alleviate some of those fears is much needed. This book handles it with understanding and clarity in a way that even a young child can understand and relate to.
Review originally posted here at Children's Atheneum.
As a person who moved almost nine times before I was nine, I appreciate a good moving story. In fact, this story brought back memories of one of those scary moves where we moved a couple states away. I remember not feeling well, mild depression, anger, crying, and a whole range of emotions in between. After not acclimating well to my new home, there were numerous tear-filled moments where I would tell my parents that I just wanted to move back home. It took many many years for my new home to really feel like that and another big move before I realized how much I had grown to like my adopted state.
The anxiety of moving, even for a child, can be considerable and anything to help alleviate some of those fears is much needed. This book handles it with understanding and clarity in a way that even a young child can understand and relate to.
Review originally posted here at Children's Atheneum.
April 16, 2018
When a child is leaving home, it is very painful. It's difficult to be optimistic that the new home will be as good, and that there are friends to be made in their new neighborhood. Deborah Underwood explores this theme in her picturebook. A young boy is very upset that his toys are being packed in a box and loaded onto a moving truck. He especially hates that he has to say good bye to his friend. He is sad and angry but the drive begins to slowly improve. He feels a bit better after taking a nap in the car and the stay at a motel is pretty cool. His family spends time in the pool and he has fun with the ice machine. When he drives through his new town, he notices a park. The boy who lives next door to them is watching the movers lug furniture and boxes into the home his neighbor will be moving into. The house isn't so bad and the boy next door is waving hello to him. They run to the park to play ball, climb a tree, enjoy the fireflies and look at the stars in the sky. The young boy is relieved that he has a new friend living right next door. This book can help a child who cannot see anything positive about moving to a new home in a new neighborhood.
September 23, 2018
This is a simple book, most likely for children in Pre-K or Kindergarten. Although it is never stated, the book is about a family that is moving. The child is mad about having to leave his old house and his friends, but once he gets to his new house, he realizes it’s not so bad. I liked this book because it is a way of showing kids that not all goodbyes have to be bad. I think this is a great book to read to children who are moving to a new house because it can show them moving might not be as bad as they think it is.
September 13, 2018
This was an amazing book. It's very simple, yet fairly deep. The illustrations are so perfect for the story. This book shows a boy's struggle with moving to a different place with his family. The whole story displays his emotional shift. It's really great.
I think every kid should read this book. It shows the reality of life's many changes, and the act of adaptation. I really enjoyed the pictures. It's a simple book, with a grand story and message.
I think every kid should read this book. It shows the reality of life's many changes, and the act of adaptation. I really enjoyed the pictures. It's a simple book, with a grand story and message.
August 6, 2015
bookaday #133. 2 words per page rhyming text tell story of an unwanted move to a new town from the point of view of a young boy. All things start out bad with black and gray overtones in the illustrations that diminish and eventually disappear as things turn good in his new home with a new friend.
April 16, 2014
In phrases, the author captures all of the good and bad emotions associated with moving.
Ink and Prismacolor tone illustrations give a great feeling of time passing. I especially liked the gradual transitions from dark to light. Overall, a highly recommended read for any readers currently dealing with the moving experience or soon to begin the process. PreK-2.
Ink and Prismacolor tone illustrations give a great feeling of time passing. I especially liked the gradual transitions from dark to light. Overall, a highly recommended read for any readers currently dealing with the moving experience or soon to begin the process. PreK-2.
January 3, 2016
A wonderful picture book about the emotions and adventure of moving. At first everything might seem bad (leaving house and friends), but it can become good.
The text is told in simple (2-3 word) phrases that rhyme. Picture support is fairly good. Could be used as an early reader. Would provide many things to discuss.
The text is told in simple (2-3 word) phrases that rhyme. Picture support is fairly good. Could be used as an early reader. Would provide many things to discuss.
May 2, 2014
This simple tale told in 2-4 words per page, illustrates the ups and downs a young boy feels when his family moves. It moves from sadness and anger in the beginning to acceptance and curiosity and ends with happiness and hopefulness. A good book to share with young kids experiencing similar moves.
August 31, 2014
Deals with the difficulties of leaving and the happiness of making a new friend. Underwood's sparse text and Bean's illustrations, show the transition from a bad bye to a good bye. As Betsy says, take a close look at the book cover. If you are able to take the cover off the book and spread it out flat. Amazing!
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