Hello, Hello

Children's Literature - Cheri Stowers

Young children will enjoy exploring how useful the telephone is to daily life. The bright, playful illustrations depicting silly animals are sure to bring a giggle. A little hippo decked out in her polka dot skirt calls Grandma to thank her for the birthday present. A pudgy pig envisions a tasty pizza and it is only a phone call away. A sleepy gorilla is jarred from his slumber by the ring of the telephone. Who could it be? A frazzled billy goat, upon seeing the chicken house engulfed in flames, dials for the fire engine. Although the text is very simple and the sentence structure feels somewhat awkward at times, it allows children the opportunity to fill in the details or share their own phone stories. The book has the potential to generate discussions about issues such as phone manners, why it is important to know your phone number, when not to answer the phone, all about 911, etc. Works well as a read aloud.