I'm Bored - a bookwrap

Unwrapping...

Authored by:  Michael Ian Black

Illustrated by:  Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Ages:  3-8








Pulling the wrapping back farther to take a peek:

I loved this book.  The little (unnamed) girl when sent to her room  comes face to face with .... BOREDOM!   The opening line is: "I'm bored. Bored. Blaaaaaaaaaaaaah. I'm so BORED!  Can you imagine?... a kid actually being bored?... a first world problem for sure.  She encounters a crusty, judgemental potato who turns the tables on her and declares that SHE is the one that is boring.  Well, that gets her all fired up and she rises to his challenge of proving to him that kids are far from boring. They can be and do anything!

She fans her imagination and comes up with out-of-the-box scenarios like: being a famous ballet dancer, making a cardboard box turn into a pirate ship, creating a toilet paper veil that flows on a cone-shaped construction-paper hat, and turns the tube inside of the paper towels into a sabre to fend off scary dragons, just to name a few. The sky is the limit whens she sets her imagination free to play and explore its capabilities and possibilities.

The illustrations are playfully drawn with simple lines and are a huge part of the humour in the book.  The potato's response to the little girl's antics repeatedly are .... boring.  The fun twist at the end of the book will bring a smile to your face as just desserts are served up. Divine retribution at its best.

With simple text and dynamic, kid-friendly pictures this book is one that both young and old will enjoy reading aloud immensely.  It is a book your child will NOT get bored of and be asking for again and again.  I highly recommend it.

1. Comedian
2. Michael Ian Black is an American comedian, actor, writer, and director. He has starred in several TV comedy series, including The State, Ed, Viva Variety, Stella, and Michael & Michael Have Issues. Wikipedia
4. Born: August 12, 1971 (age 43), Chicago, Illinois, United States
5. Spouse: Martha Hagen (m. 1998)
6. Books: The Purple Kangaroo
7. Children: Elijah Black, Ruth Black
8. Parents: Jill Schwartz, Robert Schwartz

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   Debbie Ridpath Ohi writes and illustrates books for young people. Based in Toronto, Debbie is represented by Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown Ltd. Her first picture book that she is writing and illustrating, WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? debuts from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers in May 2015; she'll be adding a Teacher's Guide and other extra material to my WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? Bonus Page.

   Debbie's illustrations appear in NAKED! (2014) and I'M BORED (2012), both picture books written by Michael Ian Black and published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. I'M BORED was selected by The New York Times for its list of Notable Children's Books and is a Junior Library Guild Selection. NAKED! was featured in the National Post's "best of kidlit/YA" 2014 list and Scholastic.com's "Top 12 Books Of 2014."

   Debbie is also the illustrator of three Judy Blume classics (FRECKLE JUICE, THE PAIN AND THE GREAT ONE, THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE IS THE GREEN KANGAROO) reissued as chapter books by Atheneum (2014) as well as on the covers of seven middle grade reissues including ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET. See my Illustrating Judy Blume page for more info.

   Upcoming book projects include SEA MONKEY AND BOB (written by Aaron Reynolds) for Simon & Schuster Children's, the RUBY ROSE picture book series (written by Rob Sanders) with HarperCollins Children's and the MITZI TULANE picture book series (written by Lauren McLaughlin) with Random House Children's.

   
   

   Read on and read always!

   It's a wrap.