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Books by Theme » Life Transitions » Help Kids Through Tough Goodbyes with Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!

Help Kids Through Tough Goodbyes with Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!

By Lauren Bercuson ·  Published: Aug 13, 2019 ·  Modified: Sep 9, 2022 ·  This post may contain affiliate links

INSIDE: Cori Doerrfeld’s GOODBYE, FRIEND! HELLO, FRIEND! is a fabulous story to help kids recognize that most goodbyes lead to wondrous new beginnings. Check it out!


Goodbye, Friend! Hello Fried, by Cori Doerrfeld

As adults, it is much easier to recognize that when one door closes, another begins. But even for us it can be tough. Imagine, then, how closing doors feels for a child. Whether it’s leaving one school to start another, moving to a new city, losing a pet, or outgrowing a favorite pair of sparkly silver shoes, goodbyes can be downright tough, and it is often challenging for us as parents to know how to handle them.

Perhaps that is why I fell so hard for GOODBYE, FRIEND! HELLO, FRIEND!, the newest picture book by Cori Doerrfeld, which so beautifully showcases this concept.


Goodbye, Friend! Hello Fried, by Cori Doerrfeld

Friendship comes with its ups and downs, of course. But one of the hardest parts of finding a best friend is having to say goodbye to that friend. GOODBYE, FRIEND! HELLO, FRIEND! tells the story of two children saying hello and goodbye to various things — goodbye to sitting alone is hello to sitting together, goodbye to snowmen is hello to jumping in puddles, goodbye to the sun is hello to the stars.

The hardest goodbye, though, is when you have to say goodbye to a friend before she moves away. Sensitive, gentle and profound, Doerrfeld conveys to readers that even the most difficult goodbyes open us up to brilliant new hellos — and though it may take time to heal, a new day with many new hellos is always on the horizon.


Goodbye, Friend! Hello Fried, by Cori Doerrfeld

Goodbyes are never easy, yet GOODBYE, FRIEND! HELLO, FRIEND! helps make transitions just a bit easier for little ones. It’s challenging for a child to understand how the end of one phase makes way for another, yet this charming story makes this ambiguous notion much more tangible. The concrete, relatable sequences help kids understand how one ending is always the beginning of something new, and though endings are tough, the promise of a new chapter can be as exciting as endings are challenging.


Goodbye, Friend! Hello Fried, by Cori Doerrfeld

I also love the way GOODBYE, FRIEND! HELLO, FRIEND! tackles the concept of letting go. Often times, we are unable to see a rainbow on the horizon until sadness eases it’s tight grip on us. But once we do let go — once we allow ourselves to take a deep breath and lean in to a new day — a ray of possibility will greet us. Sometimes, that small ray is all we need to begin again and take one step, and then another and another, forward.

Cheers to GOODBYE, FRIEND! HELLO, FRIEND! to help parents and educators ease the burden of challenging goodbyes. Two trunks up for this tender book!

RELATED: We’ve got the best children’s books for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check them out!
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Welcome to Happily Ever Elephants!

Lauren

Hi! I’m Lauren. I’m a boy mom, former attorney, current elementary school librarian, and moderator of book clubs for kids around the country. My goal is to make storytime with your children both magical and meaningful. Welcome! LEARN MORE 

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