The Day I Ran Away

In this somewhat flat take on a familiar theme, a redheaded girl named Grace recounts to her father how her disastrous morning led her to “run away” from home. Left-hand pages feature the girl’s ongoing conversation with her father at bedtime, while the indignities of her day are pictured at right. Among them: Grace’s purple shirt is in the wash, the family is out of her favorite cereal, and her subsequent tantrum lands her in time-out. Niner (I Can’t Stop!) tells the story entirely through dialogue, with color-coded fonts helping readers track who’s speaking. Grace’s frustration eventually leads her to pack up her wagon and head outdoors, and although she doesn’t get far (“ ‘Where did you go?’ ‘Nowhere. I remembered something.’ ‘What did you remember?’ ‘I’m not allowed to cross the street!’ ”), her patient mother comes up with a solution that respects Grace’s need for a little space and independence. Ongaro creates cheery scenes of domestic life, but while they successfully establish the family’s closeness, they get repetitive, particularly the many father-daughter scenes set in Grace’s bedroom . Ages 5–7. (Apr.)