There's Nothing to Do! - Hardcover

Petty, Dev

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399558039 ISBN 13: 9780399558030

Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2017

Synopsis

A Bank Street College of Education 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year

In another hilarious book from the I Don’t Want to be a Frog series, young Frog learns an unexpected lesson about how NOT to be bored. Perfect for fans of Mo Willems’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back!
 
Frog is bored. He can’t find ANYTHING to do—even when his animal friends make good suggestions, like sleeping all day, licking between his toes, or hopping around and then staring off into space. Will he find a fun and exciting way to spend his day? Featuring the beloved characters from I Don’t Want to Be a Frog and I Don’t Want to Be Big, this new story is sure to bring a smile to every kid who’s ever said “There’s nothing to do!”

And look for the other books starring Frog: I Don't Want to Be a Frog, I Don't Want to Be Big and I Don't Want to Go to Sleep.

★ "Snappy, spot-on dialogue pairs ideally with the outsize drama of Boldt’s artwork; reading this book belongs on families’ to-do lists."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"In a structured, overstimulated world, downtime needs to be appreciated, and this small amphibian shows the way."—Kirkus

About this title

About the Author

DEV PETTY is the author of many books for kids, including I Don’t Want to Be a Frog, Don't Eat Bees, Don't Trust Cats, and Elmore the Christmas Moose. She lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband, daughters, dogs, a snake named Boots, and two cats.

MIKE BOLDT is a New York Times bestselling children's book creator who lives in Alberta, Canada, with his wife, three children, a dog, and a few cats. His books include I Don’t Want to Be a Frog, Elmore the Christmas Moose, Don't Eat Bees, Don't Trust Cats, Find Fergus, Bad Dog, and the New York Times bestseller Just One Bite by Camila Alves McConaughey and Adam Mansbach.

Reviews

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 clichés 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

Edition details

• Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399558039
• ISBN 13: 9780399558030
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Boldt Mike
• Number of pages: 32