Mummy Don't Go Out Tonight by celebrated children's illustrator Sally Gardner explores the anxieties that children experience at being apart from their parents in a comforting and visually exciting way.

A little girl watches her mother getting ready for an evening out. She's alarmed at the prospect of her mother going away, and her active imagination conjures up all manner of disastrous scenarios that could happen in her absence, from Mummy being kidnapped by pirates to the cat having kittens unexpectedly. Her mother reassures her that everything will be all right and leaves her in the care of Daisy, the babysitter.

What follows then is rather like a split-screen effect, where we see both Mummy dancing the night away at a glamorous party and the little girl enjoying herself so much at home with Daisy that she's forgotten all about the fact her mother isn't there. Of course, Mummy does return home, to find her daughter tucked up in bed asleep and dreaming of the dragons, clowns, pirates and other magical characters that populate her busy brain.

Gardner's colourful illustrations capture perfectly the little girl's fantastic thoughts and her mother's equally magical night out, including a ride home on an elephant! Youngsters will identify with the little girl's worries, which are gently dispelled by the message that sometimes the unknown can actually be fun. Suitable for ages three to six years. --Alison Drury