For both kids who want to run around hectically or spend their days with their faces buried in the screens of electronics, I Am So Bored! will teach young readers how to use their imagination, slow down the pace of life, and experience the power of all five senses.
“I’m SO BORED!” It’s those three dreaded words parents hate to hear in the evening or on the weekend when they just want to relax! We are old, we are tired – why do kids have so much ENERGY? I wistfully laugh in a manically way when I remember how easy it was for my mom to let my older brother and I play outside of her view when we were younger than my oldest daughter. GASP. I’d be arrested today if I let that happen. I sigh as I read Beezus and Ramona to my daughter and find myself shaking my head at how simple it must have been for Beezus (at the age of 8!) to take her 4 (FOUR) year old sister to the park or library alone. We didn’t change, our kids are still capable, BUT society did – and the same adults complaining that kids spent too much time indoors or on social media are the first ones to call CPS because they see a 10 year old walking by themselves. Yes, I’m pointing a finger at you nosy lady from across the street! I have a sheer sense of panic when I allow my kids to play outside in our fenced in back yard while I watch them from the window as I do dishes. I’m waiting for the cops to arrive to take me away for letting my kids (GASP AGAIN) play in my own backyard. I told my husband that this is 1984 – it’s not the cops policing us per se, it’s our neighbors, our friends, the trolls on social media shaming parents into submission. When my child says they are bored, my almost 40-year old self becomes their playmate, constant over-seer, and event coordinator and I would LOVE to see that change. When my daughter found books and her own alone time in her room, it was awesome, but I want her to explore outside without fear of being in trouble and that’s why ‘I Am So Bored’ hit a chord with me. If only it were that easy……QUIT POINTING THE FINGER AT PARENTS ON THIS ONE, ok? There is a huge reason why living in a big city makes it impossible for my children to enjoy their alone time outdoors and it has nothing to do with my want of it.
I Am So Bored! is a book about imagination, slowing down the pace of life, and the power of all five senses. Take a journey with the little bear as he realizes the beauty of life that exists in the world around him. This is the perfect story to help little ones wind down and to take a break from screen time. Remember: boredom can sometimes be the best way to have fun. Little Bear is able to play outside (ALONE!) and hang out in the grass, stare at the trees and have his senses awakened. It’s a beautiful imagery that I remember so fondly from my childhood. I would climb trees, roofs, caves, and sit and THINK. I liked being alone with my thoughts and it was never, ever boring. I want that for my children, but alas, I am still their overseer when they play outside. I am still unable to give them the space they should desperately crave. If every adult read about Little Bear and realize that we have become overbearing, too nosy, and too involved in other children’s lives when they are just exploring, than perhaps we can make this a reality again. Giving a child space to discover the outdoors ALONE is not neglect, it’s slowing down their stressful lives filled with monotony, repetition, and letting them connect with nature the way life was intended. I love reading these books with my girls, I just have a hard time knowing it’s not something I can implement until they are well into their teenage years (thank you laws!), so it’s a bittersweet read that I will wistfully remember from my own childhood and hope to one day pass on to my grandchildren, if we are lucky.
About the Author/Illustrator: Henrike Wilson studied graphic design and painting in Cologne and the United States. She is now a freelance illustrator. She has illustrated Charlotte and the Wolves, Santa’s Littlest Helper, Brave Charlotte, and Santa’s Littlest Helper Travels the World. She lives in Berlin, Germany.
About Sky Pony Press: Sky Pony Press, with their Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Their list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title they publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, they are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
List Price: $ 16.99 (Available through Amazon Prime)
Momma's Bacon 