I'm Bored

Starred review from July 9, 2012
It looks to be the ultimate ennui smackdown: a bored-out-of-her-gourd kid vs. an equally jaded potato. Then the potato accuses the girl of being the source of its boredom. “What are you talking about?” demands the feisty pigtailed human. “Kids are fun!” “Prove it,” says the potato. And almost as fast as you can say “reverse psychology,” the girl shows that she is in fact a wellspring of fun: playing games, doing “ninja kicks” and other acrobatics, turning ordinary objects into fantastic props (an overturned laundry basket becomes a snow-capped mountain in her imagination), and engaging in pretend play that encompasses everything from being a ballerina to... a potato. “Boring,” responds the potato each time, before the girl storms off. But not to worry: what goes around comes around. Black (A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea) keeps this simple concept funny all the way through its final, LOL zinger. Debut illustrator Ohi’s minimalist, scraggly digital drawings are anything but boring, and speak volumes about irritation, desperation, and disdain. Ages 3–8. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown.

August 1, 2012
A kid and a tuber dispute what is and isn't boring, to no particular avail. The beginning's fun. A scowling, cartoon-style girl with a large head and sideways pigtails flops from one dramatic posture to another, complaining, "I'm bored. / Bored. Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. / I'm so BORED!" White space surrounds her. From nowhere, a potato appears. This girl must really live in white-space-land, because she's initially thrilled: "Hey! A potato!" Then she rejects it and tosses it upwards. It falls, bonks her on the head and sits on the ground. "I'm bored," announces the suddenly anthropomorphic potato in one of two genuinely funny moments. Previously unable to entertain herself, the girl labors to prove she's interesting. She demonstrates cartwheels, ninja kicks and imagination games--lion taming; dragons and swords; forcing the potato to walk a pirate-ship plank--all of which Ohi sketches in pale blue. The surly potato stubbornly remains bored. Their argument ends without satisfaction or vindication; the girl yells, mouth wide and black like in Peanuts, and departs in frustration. There's one more funny moment--not the appearance of a random flamingo (flamingos being, inexplicably, the potato's only interest in life), but the flamingo's closing complaint. Yep: "I'm bored." Turnabout's fair play, but the whole piece feels like a smarmy lesson about how annoying it is when someone insists on boredom. Ironically, boring. (Picture book. 3-5)

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September 1, 2012

K-Gr 2-Languishing on the floor of her bedroom in a funk, a girl is momentarily distracted by a potato, but then laments, "What am I supposed to do with a potato?!!" In a funny twist, the testy tater complains about being stuck hanging out with a child. The youngster's ire is raised and she enthusiastically takes up the challenge of proving that children are anything but dull. Her cartwheels, ninja kicks, imaginary lion-taming adventures, and proclamations that "Kids can do ANYTHING!!!" all fail to impress the blank-faced spud, who delivers the same verdict-"Boring...Snoring." In the last laugh, the potato does get its comeuppance. Ohi's captivating, digitally created illustrations are full of wit and charm. The girl appears as a blue swirling cyclone with pigtails flying, hands sticking out, and a pink heart as she spins in circles. The text size and layout also keep pace with her frenetic antics. Quirky and fun to read aloud, this book is a sure antidote for cases of ennui.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

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