The concept of this beautiful picture book is that every ‘goodbye’ has a following ‘hello’, and that even sad and difficult goodbyes will ultimately have a positive new reason for being happy. When Stella says a sad goodbye to her mum at the school bus, she finds a new friend when she gets to school and is able to say hello to Charlie. They become close and do everything together. When mum calls them in from the garden, away from their play, they say ‘hello’ to indoors and the games there. When they must say goodbye to their melting snowmen, they can say hello to slopping around in puddles. There is always something to be happy about when they have to stop doing something else. But one day, when Stella’s goldfish dies and they must say goodbye to him, it’s Charlie’s comforting presence that is the plus in this sad situation. Then there comes a very sad day when Charlie and his parents must move away: ‘goodbye to holding tight…is hello to letting go.’ The sadness is palpable with both children. They write letters, but it is only when Stella can say ‘hello’ to a new friend that she can see that ‘goodbye to today…is hello to tomorrow’. The pictures, full of bliss as well as sorrow, in soft chalk colours with thick black lines, are a full depiction of childhood, and it ends in affirmation. We have to hope that Charlie has found new friends too, because the story is told through Stella’s eyes. The New York Times called this author’s books ‘sweet’. NO! This is not sweetness; it is a charming and useful way to help children understand emotions and will be well-beloved in both text and pictures.