Title: I’m Bored
Author: Michael Ian Black
Illustrator: Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2012

Know the old nineties song called Flagpole Sitta from Rodney Danger? No? Well, that’s because you’ve got better musical taste than I do and you’re not old like me! But trust me, it was quite the tune. And it had a line that I’ve quoted since first I heard it (much to the chagrin of my children/everyone in my life, really):

“If you’re bored, then you’re boring.”

This is so true. The most interesting people in my life are never, ever bored. Like, even in airports. Even at the dentist. Even at the airport dentist (note: this would be pretty much the absolute WORST place in the world for me).  Anyway, today’s book is all about being bored. And being a potato, but I’ll get to that.

Michael Ian Black has written a really silly, funny book. It’s all about a little girl who is sooooo booooored. Seriously, totally, 100% bored.
Then a potato bonks her on the head. And starts talking to her, hoping to find a flamingo to liven things up. No flamingo materializes, but things DO get more interesting.

The potato, it turns out, thinks that KIDS are really boring. It’s up to the little girl to prove him wrong. And she tries to! She shows the potato how kids can turn cartwheels…how they can spin around and around (until they almost throw up)…how they can imagine that they’re ballerinas or lion tamers or ANYTHING.

But does that impress a potato? No. No it does not. Throughout the book, he mostly says one single phrase: “Boring.”

In the end, the little girl dresses like a potato herself and is still deemed ‘boring.’ She gives up! How can this potato not see how INTERESTING and un-boring she is? Off she storms, full of imagination and plans.  At that moment, along comes the flamingo the potato figured would brighten up his day…the flamingo, however, has but one thing to say:

“I’m bored.”

Cue the giggles! My girls both find this book really funny. As someone who reads a LOT of kid lit, I can only recommend doing a squeaky little-kid voice for the girl and a Mr. Grumpfish-esque voice for the potato. (You know, that grumpy fish that shows up on Bubble Guppies now and then? That guy. He has a great potato voice.)

The art is sweet and simple, and it works really well with the story. The little girl is cute and the potato’s expressions are hilarious…he’s just so darn insistent on being bored. (And, let’s be honest, aren’t ALL potatoes kinda boring?)

Next time your kiddos are bored, bust this one out. If nothing else, they’ll be inspired to fire up their own imaginations…and probably appreciate the fact that they’re not potatoes.

Mama’s rating: 4/5 potatoes
Vivi’s rating: 9/10
Lily’s rating: “That potato is hilarious!”