Don't Forget to Come Back! (by Robie H. Harris)

First-person narrative and an appealing little girl make the emotions in this utterly delightful story readily accessible. She speaks directly to the reader in an informal, contemporary manner, in a charming attempt to get the reader on her side. The character is assertive, creative, and determined in her attempt to dissuade her parents from going out for the evening, yet endearingly vulnerable and young at the same time.

The parents are also well-drawn: They appear to be prosperous, reasonable, middle-class parents who love their daughter and are prepared to deal patiently with her worries. While listening and responding to the barrage from their daughter, they give her reassuring but not cloying responses, and go about the business of preparing to go out. The fun that she has with the understanding teenage babysitter and the little girl's report about her evening to her parents end the story on a high note.