What happens in the story
Nia's family is moving. She packs her toys into a box with a big yellow star on it and packs her star night light last. They wave goodbye to the old window and the old tree, and in the car Nia keeps the star box close. The new house is full of boxes, and at night there are new shadows on the wall. Nia goes to find Dad, and together they open the star box and switch on the night light. In the morning they hang a picture of the old house, a new neighbour waves from the courtyard, and the family says hello to the new window and the new tree, just like their goodbye at the old house.
It's a story about change, a familiar object and asking for help, with a goodbye and a hello that mirror each other.
Who it's for
- Families who are moving house, or helping a child settle after a move.
- Teachers welcoming a child who has just moved, or planning a "homes" or "changes" theme.
- Speech-language pathologists working on long retells, time words (before, during, after) or expressing a need.
- Children who find change hard, including many autistic children, who may like seeing each step of a move in advance.
Skills you can practise
- Retelling a long story in three parts: goodbye, a strange night, hello.
- Time words: before, during and after the move.
- Following one object through a story: where is the star box now?
- Expressing a need: Nia goes to Dad and points to her room.
- Comparing: what's the same and what's different about the goodbye and the hello?
A 10-minute session
- Compare pictures 3 and 12 first: goodbye and hello. What is the same? What is different?
- Tell the "Goodbye" part (pictures 1 to 4) and find the star box in each picture.
- Add "A strange night" (pictures 5 to 9). What did Nia do when the room felt strange?
- Finish with "Hello" (pictures 10 to 12).
- Talk about what helps: what else might make a new place feel more like home?
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: use pictures 2, 6, 9 and 12 for a short telling.
- Harder: retell all twelve scenes with before, during and after the move.
- Extend: draw your own "goodbye" and "hello" pictures for a place you know.
Try it at home
Before a real move, let your child pack a "first night" box with a few familiar things and open it together on arrival. Feeling unsure in a new place is common, and extra comfort and time are fine.
Pairs well with
- First Day in the New Classroom: another twelve-scene story about getting used to somewhere new.
- The Missing Mitten: a six-scene story about finding something important.
- How to use story sequencing cards.