The Good~Bye Book by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Kay Chorao (1988) gave me a sense of déjà vu. It reminded me of Don’t Forget to Come Back by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Harry Bliss (2004). And for the third time, I find two books that are similar, but not the same.
Both stories are about a young child who doesn’t want a babysitter. Both children ask to accompany their parents, feign illness, and threaten to run away from home. Both children are pleasantly surprised by the friendly young adult who shows up at the door, and consequently, both children happily say good-bye to their parents.
Viorst’s story focuses on a young boy’s lengthy temper tantrum. He imagines a horrid time spent with a pudgy woman who will make him eat vegetables and watch her TV shows. Page after page shows an angry, desperate, then sad child and unresponsive parents. Harris’s story, on the other hand, spends less time on a little girl’s dramatic protests. Speech bubbles complement the narrative. The parents reply kindly to her. Mom says they always love her, even when they go out. When the child runs away into a closet, Dad says they miss her and hope she won’t be gone forever. There are several pages about fun activities the child and babysitter do together. There’s humor tossed in to lighten the negative emotion.
What’s old is new again. Perhaps updated to suit a new generation?
Books Too 
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