There's Nothing to Do!

by Dev Petty, Mike Boldt (Illustrator)

Overview

In the next book in 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!”

★ "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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399558047
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/19/2017
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

DEV PETTY is the author of I Don’t Want to Be a Frog, I Don’t Want to Be Big, and There's Nothing to Do! A graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, Dev previously worked as a visual-effects artist in film, contributing to such movies as the Matrix Trilogy. Dev was born and raised in Berkeley, California, and now lives right next door in Albany with her husband, two daughters, some dogs, and other critters. Visit her online at devpetty.com.

MIKE BOLDT is an author and illustrator living in the countryside of Alberta, Canada. He has been illustrating for children for the past fifteen years, including I Don’t Want to Be a Frog, I Don’t Want to Be Big, and There's Nothing to Do! When he’s not drawing, he’s building snow forts and Lego spaceships with his three kids, or sharing laughs and his ice cream with his wife. He is very glad he’s not a frog. Visit Mike online at mikeboldt.ca.

Editorial Reviews

★ "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

Praise for I Don’t Want to Be a Frog:
 
“Petty’s dialogue between a frog father and his son makes its point about accepting one’s nature with a big grin.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
“A lively look at self-acceptance.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Silliness and deadpan humor combine into a hopping good story of being happy with who you are.”—Booklist
 
Praise for I Don’t Want to Be Big:
 
“Reminiscent of Mo Willems’s ‘Elephant and Piggie’ series.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“An enjoyable read-aloud.”—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 08/21/2017
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. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2017
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 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

School Library Journal

2017-06-14
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)

Kirkus Reviews