What a great way to start a school year.  We opened our library officially two weeks ago.  After moving through establishment of rules and learning where books are, we finally pulled out all the new pictures books that I’ve been dying to read to classes.  Here’s the first big winner of the year.

I’m Bored doesn’t have a lot to say, but what it says makes kids laugh.  Illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s drawings make the sparse book even funnier.  The book begins with a girl saying, “I’m bored.”  She is soooooo bored.  Then, she finds a potato.  Imagine her surprise when the potato tells her, “I’m bored.”  The girl invites potato to do something, but he only likes flamingos.  Soon, she is trying to convince the potato that kids are actually fun.  She tries just about everything under the sun to convince the potato that kids are fun.  Each time, the potato (and my whole class) says, “I’m bored.” She finally stomps away.  The potato turns, only to find a flamingo.  A flamingo?  Now the potato is ready for some fun – until the flamingo tells him, “I’m bored.”  This last dry line just kicks it.  It might feel like a long buildup to this final punch line, but my students didn’t think so.  They loved the book and immediately wanted to check it out.  Of course, here it sits in front of me as I write.  It will be on the shelf tomorrow!