DON’T FORGET TO COME BACK!

It’s a night out at the opera for Mommy and Daddy while their demanding, somewhat overly imaginative preschooler is apprehensive about staying home with babysitter, Sarah. Numerous attempts at foreshadowing drastic results, negotiating deals, and retreating to the safety of her bedroom have no effect. An anxious “Goodbye, Mommy!” and “Goodbye, Daddy!” bring out this little girl’s true feelings: “Don’t forget to come back!” Large and sometimes-oversized watercolor/ink-lined drawings illustrate the youngster’s dire predictions and fears with ballooned dialogue amidst a culturally oriented middle-class home. Harris confidently portrays the rest of the evening as “Silly Sarah” shares pepperoni and pineapple pizza, encourages wearing clown makeup and painting toenails, and reads a cool monster bedtime story to her sleepy charge. Morning brings an affectionate reunion as Mommy and Daddy are informed of the evening’s events from one preschooler’s perspective. “The South Pole is too cold / Sarah is so-ooo silly! / And she didn’t let a single moose in the house.” An amusing, sophisticated look at an age-old concern, reflecting the emotions of separation anxiety through the eyes of a verbal, assertive child. (Picture book. 3-7)