Here Hughes -- Dogger, Alfie Gets in First and its companion books, the Tales of Trotter Street -- once again demonstrates her ability to plug directly into the mindset and emotions of young children. Lily usually stays home with her mother while Dad goes to work, but when Mom wakes up with flu one morning, her dad takes the decidedly unenthusiastic ("Don't want to go!") preschooler to a neighbor's house. There, Lily initially resists Melanie's overtures ("Don't want toast") but gradually warms up through the ordinary events of a preschooler's happy day: playing peekaboo with baby Sam, helping Melanie paste magazine pictures into a scrapbook, holding dog Ringo's leash when it's time to pick up older son Jack from school, playing "boats" in cardboard boxes. When Lily's dad comes to collect her at the end of the day, Lily is happily ensconced on the couch with Jack and Ringo, watching TV. And what does she tell Dad? "Don't want to go." As is suitable for the youngest readers, the backgrounds are merely implied in the homey, cheerful gouache illustrations set amidst plentiful white space; the forefronting of the action allows children to focus almost entirely on Lily's expressions and on the interactions between characters. Another memorable offering from a true master of picture books for preschoolers. martha v. parravano (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Lily, like most preschoolers, is a creature of habit. So when Mom's flu and Dad's job requires her to spend a day at the house of Melanie, a grown-up family friend she barely remembers, Lily is resistant; she repeats the book's title and "went all stiff and would not get out of the stroller." Melanie proves to be a diplomatic hostess, however, and gradually Lily warms up to her surroundings, giving new meaning to "Don't want to go!" in the end. Hughes's (the Olly and Me books) unadorned narration exudes empathy for the dislocated Lily (" ¿Don't want toast,' said Lily. She forgot to say thank you"). And her densely textured, saturated gouache images, which emphasize the connections between characters over environmental detailing, make a strong case that the right people can make any situation feel homey. Despite Melanie having a baby and dog to care for, her patience is unflappable, and Lily's gradual acceptance of the situation unfolds naturally and believably. Ages 3-5. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist