Don't Want to Go! [Hardcover]

Shirley Hughes (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: October 12, 2010 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years

A resistant Lily discovers that new experiences don’t need to be scary in this engaging, deftly told story certain to resonate with young children.

One morning, Lily’s mom wakes up with a sore throat and achy head and needs to stay in bed. But Lily’s dad needs to go to work. Who will look after Lily? When Dad arranges for her to spend the day at Melanie’s house, Lily is none too happy. "Don’t want to go!" she says. Even though Melanie has a friendly dog named Ringo and a funny baby named Sam, Lily is shy and wants to sit under the table with her toy Bobbo. But maybe a chance to make silly collages, or feed Sam lunch, or hold Ringo’s leash might make her feel braver—and maybe she’ll start having so much fun she won’t want to leave at the end of the day! With illustrations that keenly convey emotion through the subtlest gesture, Shirley Hughes mines a familiar situation for its most genuine moments and creates a truly reassuring story for young children.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-K–It's one of those days. Lily's mom is sick. Her dad has to work. “‘Guess what!' says Dad. ‘You're going to play at Melanie's house! Won't that be fun?'” Hughes's gouache illustrations, notable for their charming, colorful casualness, show Dad's forced cheerfulness and Lily's skepticism. “‘Don't want to go,'” she protests. As Lily progresses from hiding under the table to participating in Melanie's household, young readers may well be thinking, that's not so bad, while adults wish that Melanie could be cloned and distributed worldwide. It's equally funny and predictable that when Dad comes to pick her up, Lily doesn't want to go. Hughes, one of the most beloved picture-book authors/illustrators in the world, is a master of understated, wry stories about the seemingly small incidents that loom large in a child's life. Her artwork looks unassuming and traditional but her brilliant layouts expertly mirror and emphasize every element in the text. While Don't Want to Go! contains a fair amount of text, it will capture the attention of preschoolers and kindergarteners when shared one-on-one and in small gatherings.–Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NYα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Starting with the image of the fuming toddler on the cover, award-winning illustrator Hughes captures a child’s body language in scenarios everyone will recognize. Lily’s mom wakes up with the flu one morning, so Dad takes Lily to play at their neighbor Melanie’s house while he is at work. Lily is clear that she hates the idea: Don’t want to go! First she sits and seethes under Melanie’s table and refuses snacks: Don’t want toast. Then she gradually bonds with Melanie’s baby, Sam, learns to cut and paste silly collages from magazines (a piece of cake on a lady’s head; a building balanced on a chest of drawers), holds the dog’s leash when they fetch Sam’s brother, Jack, from school, and snuggles with everyone on the sofa to watch television. When Dad comes to fetch Lily and bring her home, she is adamant once again: Don’t want to go! Set against plenty of white space, the expressive gouache illustrations keep the focus on Lily’s feelings, from furious to blissful. Preschool. --Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763650919
• ISBN-13: 978-0763650919
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 0.4 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,314,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This charming tale about Lily, who didn't want to go anywhere, will put a twinkle in your eye! November 24, 2010

By D. Fowler TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Lily and Dad looked in on Mom as she snuggled under a pile of blankets. She was coming down with the flu and claimed "that her head ached and her throat was sore and she felt hot and shivery all over." Lily, who was still in her colorful crinkly pajamas, stood quietly as she clutched a couple of books in one hand and let Bobbo, her stuffed doggie, dangle from the other. When Lily was eating breakfast, she looked pensively at Dad with her big blue eyes. Who was going to take care of her if Mom was sick? It wasn't long before Dad called around and announced that Lily and Bobbo were going to go to Melanie's house, but she wasn't very interested. Not at all. Not one iota.

Dad tried to convince her that she'd have a good time because there were all kinds of toys to play with, but Lily wasn't interested. Not at all. Not one iota. She was all bundled up and ready to go, but her lips were slightly puckered and her eyes became sulky. They were just about ready to head out when Lily declared, "Don't want to go!" Dad nestled her in a stroller with Bobbo and headed off to Melanie's. When they arrived, she took one look at Melanie, who was holding baby Sam, and stiffened right up. There was no way she wanted to stay, but soon things started to happen. Ringo, a lively little dog, ran to greet her, baby Sam turned out to be kind of funny, and when Melanie started pasting pictures in a scrapbook, things were starting to get interesting. Mmmmm, was Lily actually going to have some fun after all?

This charming tale about Lily, a little girl who had no interest in staying at anyone else's home for the day, will make you smile. Anyone who has ever had to bring their youngster to a strange daycare or friend's house, even if it is just for a few hours or a day, will be able to relate to Lily's story. Some children are very uncomfortable with a change in their routine and sulking or tantruming is not uncommon. Little Lily soon found out that Melanie's house wasn't all that bad and the experienced, intuitive parent can only guess what she said to her Dad when he arrived to pick her up. The illustrations, rendered in gouache, were bubble gum snappy and very appealing. If you have a toddler like Lily who has no intention of "visiting" with anyone else, this story will bring a twinkle to your eye!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Predictable ending but wonderful story nonetheless January 7, 2011

By Lori Katz

Format:Hardcover

Lily is not too happy about being brought to a babysitter when her mom is sick with the flu. Dad ignores her protests even as she drops her breakfast on the kitchen floor and gloves in the street. At the sitter's she begins to calm down a little when she meets the dog and plays with the baby, Sam. During Sam's naptime she bonds with Melanie, the sitter and later with Jack the older son. Watching Lily's expressions you can see how she begins to feel more comfortable. Bobbo, Lily's stuffed friend seems to be sharing the same feelings as Lily. Of course the ending is predictable but it's a wonderful story nonetheless. Recommended for pre-schoolers through first graders and to anyone who enjoyed "Beatrice Doesn't Want To" by Laura Numeroff.