Say Hello! and The Pont des Arts
Say Hello! Rachel Isadora and The Pont des Arts by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Featured Book: Say Hello! by Rachel Isadora
Featured Artwork: The Pont des Arts by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Say Hello! by Rachel Isadora is about a Carmelita, a young girl who learns how to say hello in many different languages as she moves through her neighborhood.
Artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 1841–1919) painted a moment along the Seine River in his hometown of Paris that shows people from all walks of life.
Take a close look at the figures in Renoir’s painting. Just like Carmelita, someone is walking with their dog. There are also several children, just like in the book. What else do you see? As you zoom into the artwork, practice saying hello in different languages to each new group of people. Since Renoir painted this scene of Paris, some of the people you meet would say, “bonjour!”
Sketch yourself walking through a place that you know well, like your neighborhood, classroom, or the Norton Simon Museum. In your drawing, show how you would say hello to people you meet.
If you don’t have access to the featured book, select something similar from your child’s book shelf or your local library. Many of the books are also available as read-aloud videos online.