There's Nothing to Do!

July 1, 2017
Petty and Boldt's young frog often has plenty to gripe about (I Don't Want to Be Big, 2016, etc.); this time, he is bored.It is a whine that no caregiver can ever escape: "There's nothing to do!" A bespectacled older frog asks, "You can't think of anything?" Full of childhood angst--sprawled out on the floor in despair--the small frog answers, "I can think of lots of things... / buuuuut I don't want to do any of them." After naysaying all possibilities, even the ever popular "then clean your room," the frog decides to ask some friends for advice. Rabbit really likes to hop in circles and then stare into space. Cat suggests licking in between toes, and Owl thinks sleeping is the best idea. Pig helpfully unfurls a list of "Pig's Fantastic List of Things to Do When He Doesn't Know What to Do." Unfortunately, nothing on the list is very fantastic. Boldt's putty-mouthed frog is the picture of boredom and dejection, finally brightening at the yogic realization that sometimes doing nothing, just being in the moment, is better than anything. This is a lesson well-learned, except when school is the next day and the young frog happily wants to do...nothing (oops). In a structured, overstimulated world, downtime needs to be appreciated, and this small amphibian shows the way. (Picture book. 3-6)

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Starred review from August 21, 2017
The malcontented frog from I Don’t Want to Be a Frog and I Don’t Want to Be Big is at a loss about what to do with his day. “You can’t think of anything?” his father asks, working on a crossword puzzle. “I can think of lots of things... buuuuut I don’t want to do any of them,” replies the frog, wearing an expression that suggests he can’t believe his father would even ask such a question. Friends’ suggestions do nothing for the frog (“You should lick between your toes for a while,” proposes Cat), who eventually realizes that doing nothing—or at least being present in the moment—can be something in itself. Snappy, spot-on dialogue pairs ideally with the outsize drama of Boldt’s artwork; reading this book belongs on families’ to-do lists. Ages 3–7. Agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary.

October 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2- So what do you do when there is absolutely nothing to do? Nothing. That is the premise behind Petty's latest. The story follows an uneventful day in the life of Frog as he solicits advice from his animal friends, owl and pig, about how he should spend his day. Instead of offering suggestions that are of benefit to Frog, both owl and pig give quirky, self-indulgent advice ranging from sleeping all day to sniffing dirt. Frog soon becomes disenchanted when he realizes that the advice from his friends only prove that they don't have any clues about what he should do, either. Later, Frog has an epiphany and concludes that doing nothing is a great way to spend the day. Although the story attempts to use humor as a vehicle to teach a lesson about boredom, it is only mildly entertaining. Filled with cliches and semi-comedic dialogue, the story lacks any real lessons of value. On the one hand, Frog learns that in doing nothing he can find enlightenment. He then gets the idea that it would be better to do nothing as opposed to going to school. On a positive note, vibrant illustrations do make the book visually appealing, and the use of dialogue boxes make the text easy to read. VERDICT with minor humor and a lackluster story line, this book would add little value to library collections.- Andrea Jamison, Lincoln Elementary School, Calumet City, IL

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