Goodbye, Hello: A Going Home Travel Adventure

by Angela H. Dale, Daniel Wiseman (Illustrator)

In this bouncing picture book, an LGBTQ+ Navy family travels across the globe to reunite.

Say goodbye to Pop-pop and Gram! It’s time to leave for the airport with Mommy and baby sibling.

Strap and click.
Wheels go round.
Rumble, whoosh.
Goodbye, ground.

Travel across the globe, across busy highways and crowded airports, with strollers and toys, with a family to return home and reunite with Mama.

Featuring travel by car and plane across the world, this fast and fun picture book is a great introduction to the many different legs of international travel for the smallest members of the family.

A celebration of military families of all kinds, Goodbye, Hello is inspired by author Angela H. Dale’s experiences with her own Navy family. illustrator of NYT bestseller The World Needs More People, Daniel Wiseman's adorable, bright and engeric artwork captures the fun and chaos of big family trips.

Learn about Navy homecoming traditions in the back, along with a fun seek and find game! Can you spot the different modes of travel and all the different workers that make it possible?

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Travel, Military Fiction, Transport, Fiction, Family

40 pages, Hardcover

Published November 5, 2024

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book that various ways that people travel and what happens during those travels I enjoyed the art but I definitely struggled with the writing at some points because it felt inconsistent.

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, because I’ve never seen a book about traveling on an airport as a kid before.

[Rebecca Gardyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this touching, multi-layered, deceptively simple picture book, concise rhymes tell the story of a mother and two children travelling on a very long trip from what appears to be New York City. For most of the story, it isn’t clear where the family is headed or why (although if you’re paying attention, the cover image and subtitle do tip it off!), but instead the reader simply enjoys following along with the many steps they take on their journey: from a taxi ride to airport security, to walking through the airport, to riding the tram to the gate, to take off, etc. On its face, it is a story about overnight air travel and to that end it definitely is a great way for parents to introduce the experience to a child who has never done it before or who is nervous before a long flight. But this book offers so much more, because in the end (spoiler alert!) we find out that the family isn’t going on vacation, but instead is headed home to Japan to reconnect with their spouse/other mother, who has been serving in the Navy on a ship for presumably many months. It is, in fact, a tender love letter to separated military families everywhere. The Author’s Note gives more insight and explanation about her own experience and the inspiration for writing this book. So well done. Highly recommend!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful Photoshop artwork set against plentiful white space and rhyming lines make this charming and inclusive picture book child-friendly. While it's not necessarily clear if this family is being reunited briefly for or after a vacation or if it's a permanent move--well, as permanent as possible when a parent is in the Navy--it's clear that the journey is long and arduous. Leaving the destination mysterious at first gently builds tension. The illustrations depict many of the steps in flying, including checking in and being scanned or having carry-ons scanned, and a long night flight. Once the little family arrives in Japan, it becomes clearer what's been going on. If readers are still uncertain, those lines of "Goodbye, goodbyes, / Hello, hugs" (unpaged) on the final page and the smiling family of four, including two women, one in a sailor suit, will definitely end any confusion. With so many military families moving all across the globe, this picture book might help ease some of their anxiety and uncertainty about when all family members will be reunited.

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

        Excuse me a minute while I wipe my eyes. This sweet book is not only about the hardship of traveling with little kids but also about some of the challenges that military families sometimes go through when their family is coming back from deployment. Saying goodbye (and even hello after such a long time) can be just as tiring as the long journey to see their family again. I love how this book keeps the positive going though with the jumpy, short text and smiles on the faces around our little family, even as said family begins to feel weary at the end of their long trip. Lastly, I love that this is not only a POC book but also LGBTQ+, the latter of which I have not yet seen depicted in military family books. A great book to help littles through those “hellos and goodbyes” and give some insight in the hardship of military family life.

[John Mullarkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bright, upbeat rhyming picture book about lengthy travel and reuniting with family overseas. It works very well for a pre-family trip read aloud as it could ease some worries and show what can be expected - (waiting in lines, lots of escalators, etc.)- it also can give a pointer or two about making the process of travel more fun - i.e. counting all the methods of transport used to get from place to place. It also shows how military families bond and celebrate each other after a long absence. The bright, super-kid friendly illustrations have all kinds of travel-oriented details that make it engaging for a one to one read aloud as well. There is ample back matter that gives further interesting details about lengthy travel across the globe and the special features and ceremony that take place when military families are together after a long deployment.

[Norah C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only is this a very sweet story about military families, but it is also inclusive in the main character having two moms and background characters having two dads or only a single parent. I very much enjoyed this book even though I didn't have a military family like this myself, and can imagine this would mean a lot to a child who could see themself in different aspects of this story. On top of the well-done illustrations that lay out the story well, there is also a 'Where's Waldo?' aspect to this story in the front page of this book, asking readers to try and spot these different people in uniform, which makes for a fun game with children.

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in concise rhyming text, this story takes readers on an overnight journey from home to another country. Each goodbye brings a new hello situation until the heartwarming reunion of family at the end. This has many layers including what kids may expect while traveling to an airport, boarding procedures, the airplane experience, as well as the sacrifice of military families while one spouse/partner serves.

[Jennifer Blanck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read aloud with good pacing and action-packed and concise rhyming text. This book is great for anyone with kids who are about to go on a trip--it shows what a journey can entail and the people and things they'll see and experience along the way. It also highlights an important part of military families' worlds. I love that the story and illustrations showcase our diverse world.

[Suma Subramaniam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tenderly touches on the extra mile military families experience when they must travel with their loved one who is posted on assignment. It speaks to the resilience they build. The rhyme works perfectly to invite readers into the journey and the author's personal note at the end of the book is thought provoking, emotional, and insightful. Highly recommend this book!

[Carrie Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this bouncy, joyful rhyming story about a family on their way to greet a military parent who has been away at sea. The author’s note gives more information about the special moments that families experience when they are reunited. As a kid whose father was deployed to war, I have fond memories of my family’s own reuniting. This book really struck a chord with me and even made me cry.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simply written and very sweet story about a mom and her two young children traveling on an airplane to reunite with their other partner/parent who is in the military. This is a great story for military families, of course, but would also be a great story to read to a child who was about to experience an airport or airline travel for the first time.

A sweet and comforting read.

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dale’s tender rhyming text and Wiseman’s warm illustrations beautifully capture the resilience of military families as they journey alongside a loved one on assignment. The rhythm invites readers into their world, while the author's personal note at the end adds a thought-provoking and emotional touch. Highly recommended!

[Kimberly Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhyming text, plus a bustling adventure of goodbyes and hellos, and bright, exciting illustrations, adds up to a wonderful story all ages will enjoy! Perfect for military families and anyone traveling to new places or visiting loved ones!

[SamSamSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a great book to read with little kids before going to the airport in terms of prepping them for what to expect. There were times when the text didn't do enough to support the story, which is another instance of my pet peeve about rhyming books that don't really need to rhyme.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Military families look forward to when their family member’s deployment ends and they can be reunited. In this story, told in rhyme, a mother and her two children travel for many hours using different transportation to be at the dock when their person arrives. At the end of the story are two pages called Author’s Note on which information about deployment can be found, as well as some fun things the sailors do. On the front inside cover are the different service people involved in that journey. On the back inside cover are the different modes of transportation used by the travelling family to get to their destination. Nicely illustrated.

[Samhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a special book. As a full grown adult, the beauty and emotion of this book moved me to tears. For kids, it’s a fun adventure book. It’s fantastic to see the diversity of the US Military reflected in a lovely book!

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An LGBTQ naval family gets reunited in this fun, rhyming picture book. Has a bit of seek-and-find element that readers can do as they read the story. Includes some cool information at the back of the book where I learned about "first kiss" raffles.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've have traveled with my kids--starting when they were six months old, with one in hand and two in tow. This book captures the adventure of it beautifully. The words are lyrical and the illustrations unending, so much many sounds and sight captured. We love Goodbye, Hello, will probably become one of our favorites.