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About The Book

Itsy Mitsy has had quite enough of bedtime. So tonight she’s running away to the perfect place, where there are no more bedtimes ever (not even one). But running away isn’t as easy as it seems. There’s a lot to pack: Mitsy’s friendliest dinosaur, Mister Roar; a snack for Mister Roar; Mitsy’s dog, Pupcake (to keep the bedtime beasties away from said snack).…The list goes on and on. But with a helpful dad who makes sure Mitsy doesn’t leave anything behind—especially not him—Mitsy might want to run away tomorrow night, too!

About The Author

Photograph courtesy of the illustrator

Elanna Allen lives in New York with her husband and sons, where she writes and illustrates children’s books and designs characters for television. She wrote and illustrated Itsy Mitsy Runs Away and has created characters for Disney, Nickelodeon, and PBS. Stop by and say hi at ElannaAllen.com.

About The Illustrator

Photograph courtesy of the illustrator

Elanna Allen lives in New York with her husband and sons, where she writes and illustrates children’s books and designs characters for television. She wrote and illustrated Itsy Mitsy Runs Away and has created characters for Disney, Nickelodeon, and PBS. Stop by and say hi at ElannaAllen.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (May 3, 2011)
  • Length: 40 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781442435476
  • Grades: P - 2
  • Ages: 3 - 7

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Raves and Reviews

“Mitsy may be itsy, but she has no shortage of energy or determination…. Debut talent Allen, an animator and character designer, has a breezy drawing style and a cheery disdain for logic reminiscent of 1950s-era cartoons…the freewheeling art stays anchored by Allen’s very funny text, which combines rhythmic, cumulative passages with Mitsy’s irreverent, precocious voice.”

--Publishers Weekly, March 21, 2011, *STAR

“Whether on a lap or in storytime, children will feel the pull of loose rhyme, pleasing momentum and mounting ridiculousness….Varied layouts, full of effective flourishes…highlight Mitsy’s panache and her father’s gentle manipulations. The irresistible tug of clever language combines with visual pizzazz to make this runaway story a runaway hit.”

--Kirkus, April 1, 2011, *STAR

“Itsy Mitsy, a small girl in bright green pajamas, hates bedtime and decides to run away... The bright, minimalist cartoon illustrations are rendered in pencil with digital color, primarily using greens, yellows, and oranges. This entertaining story will appeal to any children who have fought against the dreaded bedtime.”

--School Library Journal, May 2011

“From the first page…this lively story will draw young preschoolers with its cumulative farce and sense of rebellion…The scenarios get wilder and wilder with each page turn, and the fantasy is extended in the hilariously detailed, pencil-and-digital illustrations…. Underlying the laughs, it’s the girl’s warm bond with her father that forms the heart of this high-spirited story.”

--Booklist, May 2011

Awards and Honors

  • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Elanna Allen