I Want It!

by Paul Meisel, Paul Meisel (Illustrator)

Overview

A girl wants to play with her brother's toys – and she won't give up!
From two-time Theodor Seuss Geisel Honoree Paul Meisel, this story is perfect for kindergarteners and first graders to read on their own.

I want it!
Mine!

A boy is contentedly playing with his superheroes, cars, and blocks when he notices that his sister has taken his dragon. He wants it back! Now!

Brother and sister struggle with strong emotions, dramatically illustrated—from possessiveness to frustration to anger. But empathy and compassion win out in the end. And we can read the joy on the children's faces.

The books in the award-winning I Like to Read® series build vocabulary and promote fluency, which are essential for reading success. Acclaimed author-illustrators—including winners of Caldecott, Theodor Seuss Geisel, and Coretta Scott King honors—create original, high-quality books that are fun for kids to read again and again with their parents, teachers or on their own!

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823462704
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/17/2026
Series:	I Like to Read Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.75(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Paul Meisel, who holds a master's degree in graphic design from Yale University, has received two Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Awards as well as American Library Association Notable Awards for See Me Run and I See a Cat, both I Like to Read books. My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis was honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for Excellence in ScienceBooks, and The Schmutzy Family, written by Marilyn Rosenberg and illustrated by Paul Meisel, was a National Jewish Book Award Finalist.

Editorial Reviews

In a firecracker of a story, Meisel, a Geisel Honoree for two other I Like to Read titles, See Me Run (2011) and I See a Cat (2017), provides the kind of repetition, short sentences, and familiar vocabulary that are hallmarks of this series for emergent readers. . . Plenty of action that any child can relate to makes this widely accessible, and a nice “Let’s play!” resolution gives a comforting conclusion.
—Booklist (starred review)

Salutary for big kids and encouraging for little ones.
—Kirkus Reviews

The relatable story and structured repetition of both vocabulary and plot elements makes this a solid choice for emerging readers.
—School Library Journal

Meisel packs an impressive amount of activity and emotion into a handful of speech bubbles and images in this enjoyable beginning reader.
—The Horn Book

From the Publisher

2024-12-28
Learning to play together is a challenge.

A short-haired child in blue jeans and a striped shirt happily plays with toys from a red box. The child has plenty to say about all the items: “Mine!” The car: “Go.” A miniature figure with a soccer ball: “Goal.” A plane: “I can fly.” The child is surrounded by toys but… “What?” A smaller, younger-looking child with pigtails in ribbons and a pink polka-dot shirt is playing with a small blue car: “Beep.” The bigger child wrestles the car away: “I want it.” “Wah!” wails the smaller child. This tale of a familiar domestic conflict uses only a handful of words, all in dialogue balloons, accompanied by artwork that offers plenty of clues to what’s happening. As they tackle this simple text that perfectly punctuates the drama, young listeners and emerging readers will recognize the complex feelings of both characters—and will be happy to see things come to a satisfying resolution. When the littler one picks up one last toy, the older child’s claim of “Mine!” is countered with an emphatic, repeated, “I WANT IT.” The words escalate in size, and the surprise on the older child’s face signals a win for the little one: “Okay.” “Let’s play!” The unadorned background keeps the focus on the action and emotion—and the words. Both children are light-skinned.

Salutary for big kids and encouraging for little ones.(Early reader. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews