Time to Say Goodbye

See You Later, Alligator by Sally Hopgood ill by Emma Levey

​There comes a time when one must part ways with a friend. Maybe the withdrawal will be brief. Perhaps it will be an indeterminate period. Sometimes it will be with a sense of relief. Other times the separation is accompanied with feelings of intense sorrow. 
However, on occasion the farewell can be quite cheerful. Such is the case in See You Later, Alligator by Sally Hopgood.  This picture book is filled with upbeat ways to say goodbye. 

​Tortoise lives on an animal preserve, home to an assortment of animal habitats that are illustrated in an introductory spread and detailed on the map complete with compass rose. Young Tortoise dons his cap, straps on a backpack and decides to venture out into the vast world beyond the animal park. Before leaving, he stops to say farewell to each of his friends. This is where the fun begins, as Tortoise extends a personal adieu to each and every one.  Emma Levey's bright illustrations with a cartoonish sensibility add just the right touch. Be sure to note the side-eye Baboon, Buffalo, Cat, and Gnu give Tortoise. It's a broad hint to the story's conclusion.

This delightful riff on "See you later, alligator" opens up a wealth of clever ways to announce one's departure. Readers will intrigued by the options for saying goodbye, the imaginative schemes for rhyming couplet construction, and the possibilities for creating a map chronicling travel adventures of a protagonist.
Story extension projects for this book could go on for days.

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Still at a loss for a way to say goodbye?
​Singer/songwriter Paul Simon has a few suggestions for creating rhyming goodbyes. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover recording of live performance.