Hi - Hardcover

Ages 1-3. Margarita says, "Hi," and waves to everyone as she stands in line with her mother at the post office, but the people are all too busy to wave back or even notice her. The simple text and lively watercolor double-page-spread illustrations show the toddler's view of people of many ages and cultures, each one an individual, with her or his kind of package, each absorbed in her or his own world. An old man is reading his newspaper; three teenage girls are talking to one another; a mother is taking care of her baby; a boy with earphones can't see beyond his pile of packages. By the time her mother gets to the front of the line, Margarita is downcast, but the post office lady smiles and greets her, and then Margarita waves good-bye all the way to the door. Small children will recognize the experience of feeling lost and ignored in a busy place both fascinating and overwhelming. Hazel Rochman

PreSchool-K-A simple, affecting picture book based on a keen observation of gesture and movement. Margarita and her mother are waiting on line at the post office. The little girl steps out of her umbrella stroller and says "Hi!" to each person she sees. An old man, three teenage girls, and others either ignore or can't hear her. When she and her mother step up to the counter, the postal clerk answers her greeting with a smile, and the child goes home contentedly, waving "Bye!" Margarita's persistence, discouragement, and goodwill are touchingly illustrated. Watercolor drawings show exactly what it is like to feel small and insignificant. A delightful moment in time perfectly captured for the youngest of listeners.
Anna Biagioni Hart, Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.