Don’t Want To Go!

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.

Colors (First Steps Board Books)

“Young children will enjoy the light and airy illustrations that lead them on a journey to discover . . . colors.” – THE BOSTON GLOBEWith whimsical illustrations and the sparest of texts, award-winning author-illustrator John Burningham gives toddlers a lively demonstration of the building blocks of learning. Full of spirited fun, this “first step” – COLORS – is just right for very young children who are on the path to figuring out the world around them.