Hello, Door

by Alastair Heim, Alisa Coburn (Illustrator)

Overview

In Hello, Door, kids can follow a thieving fox as he greets everything he sees in a home that isn't his.

Hello, door.

Hello, house.

Hello, mat.

Hello, mouse!

In this ode to the classic "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" story, kids can follow a thieving fox as he greets everything he sees in a home that isn't his. He collects fine art and jewelry, practices his golf swing, and devours a tasty snack along the way. But just when he thinks he's in the clear to leave with all the goods, the owners of the house-a mama bear, papa bear, and baby bear-come home. They chase him through the house, and when the mama bear catches him she promptly throws him out. But she throws him so far that he ends up in a much nicer neighborhood-in front of a mansion, in fact-where he can begin his mischievous adventure again!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781499805369
Publisher:	little bee books
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD70L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Alastair Heim's love for writing started in ninth grade, when a poem that he wrote won second place in a statewide poetry contest. Years later, his then three-year-old daughter began repeating every word he said. This inspired him to write a bedtime story in which they could both participate. Alastair's debut book for Little Bee Books, Love You Too, was published in Fall 2016. He lives in Missouri with his wife and three word-repeating kids.

Alisa Coburn is an illustrator and designer who lives with her family in the English countryside. She loves to draw and color as much as she did when she was a little "piglet," and she can't believe that she gets to do this for a living. Alisa is also the illustrator of Love You Too, a picture book on Little Bee's Fall 2016 list. Find out more about Alisa at alisacoburn.com.

Editorial Reviews

10/30/2017
A wily, larcenous fox with the suave moves of Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief embarks on a caper. Slipping through the open window of an elegant townhouse, he gives a jaunty greeting to every room and potential piece of plunder. “Hello, sofa. Hello, chairs,” he says, swinging through the living room on a chandelier. “Hello, mirror. Hello, stairs,” he adds, glimpsing his reflection as he adds silverware to his haul. After hitting the jackpot—a cache of jewelry that he can’t resist trying on—he attempts to make an equally carefree exit (“Bye-bye, bedroom. Bye-bye, stairs”) and comes face-to-face with the house’s inhabitants: the Three Bears. The fox’s unceremonious ejection proves that crime doesn’t pay, but there’s no doubt that incorrigibility has a certain charisma. Coburn (who worked with Heim on Love You Too) gives her bushy-tailed hero suitably balletic moves, putting him to work in stylish interiors rendered in dusky pinks and soft Wedgwood blue. Heim’s snappy, saucy text should bring out the lovable rogue in anyone who reads it aloud. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

01/01/2018
PreS-Gr 2—A sneaky fox attempts to burgle a house. He is excited when he finds a wide array of valuables inside. The rascal prances about the house stuffing various items into his bag. He says "hello" to each thing he sees, including a door, stairs, and a sofa as he continues to take things from the house. One can track his rapid movement throughout the house in part by what he greets, until…he realizes whose domain he has invaded. The illustrations communicate a completely different story line than the text would by itself. The lively multi-paneled artwork is filled with details and many hidden context clues. Movement is depicted via lines that show how the fox darts throughout the house. VERDICT The mischievous character and his comeuppance can be used to spark conversation with children. They will love to pore over the fun and energetic cartoon artwork.—Deanna Smith, formerly at Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2017-10-10
Goodnight Moon meets "The Three Bears" in this tale of a robber fox.Sporting a blue turtleneck, this bushy-tailed thief approaches an elegant home with columns and a mansard roof (a Georgian town house, according to the illustrator's dedication). The fox greets objects and creatures by name: "Hello, door. Hello, house. / Hello, mat. Hello, mouse." Once inside, the intruder enjoys a snack, swings through the parlor on the chandelier, and leaves a trail of broken china and debris. What isn't nailed down goes into an increasingly bulging satchel—porcelain, silver, jewelry, and paintings, cut from their frames. The palette is predominantly turquoise with burnt orange and red accents; the feel of the mischief is reminiscent of Warner Bros. cartoons. Just as the fox is about to make a getaway, the three bear homeowners return, and a confusing chase ensues, the characters appearing as orange silhouettes running through a cross-section of the house. Mother Bear finally tosses the culprit out the window. The fox lands, empty-handed but gleeful, eyeing an even more palatial setting replete with fountains and formal gardens. This plot and conclusion produce discomfort. In "The Three Bears," while Goldilocks does enter a home not her own, she is more naughty child than thief. When found, she is frightened enough never to be seen repeating the offense.What are young listeners to feel upon finishing this story? Unsatisfied—and maybe even insecure. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews