HELLO! GOOD-BYE!

A wry, informative look at the almost endless possibilities of greetings and farewells, for they are ``a beginning and an end.'' Through a combination of jaunty illustrations and factual text, youngsters travel the wide world to experience universal moments of arrivals and departures. As with her earlier nonfiction (Manners, 1990, etc.), Aliki selects just-right, relevant examples that will resonate with young readers: A fanfare, a ``Howdy!,'' a ``Drive safely,'' an ``Auf wiedersehen,'' a ``Yoo-Hoo!,'' a bow, a hug, and a curtsy are a few of her choices. She goes from the easy good-byes (to a bad-mannered visitor) to the most difficult ones (two children huddle near a starkly empty rocking chair), conveying tremendous emotional range in very few pages. The illustrations, organized in storyboard form, effectively combine information with scenes of children involved in verbal and nonverbal salutations and leave-takings all over the world, further reducing the subject to its essentials. In all, the book will be something of a revelation to children and adults alike. (Picture book. 4+)