PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : I'm Busy by Michael Ian Black & Debbie RIdpath Ohi
ABOUT THE BOOK
In this fifth book in the series from New York Times bestselling author Michael Ian Black and celebrated illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi, a flamingo, a girl, and a potato tackle what it’s like to feel super-busy-all-the-time.
So much to do and so little time! How can a girl get everything done?
Especially when Potato and Flamingo are asking her to hula hoop or play superheroes, when she has more important things to do, like piano practice, Spanish lessons, solving mysteries, and getting into the right college. Okay, that might be too much…
Can friends can help her find some balance and understand that no matter how busy you get, you should always find time for your friends?
REVIEW
A girl's busyness interferes with her friendships with flamingo and potato when her schedule doesn't permit her to find time to spend with them. Flamingo and Potato try to convince the girl that she should spent some time with them doing some fun stuff. But the girl is too stressed about music lessons, a coding project, and judging by her calendar, comedy routines, karate tournaments and college applications and resumes. As one might expect the girl does eventually have a meltdown before collapsing on the grass after realizing she might be a tad too busy. As the friends look at shapes in the clouds, the girl continues to ponder her dilemma (is that really like a souffle as Potato suggests?). By the end of the story the girl accepts the need to find some balance between her activities and taking care of herself (and her friends!). The ending, which I won't spoil, does provide a laughing reminder of how the three friends met in the first place, back in book one (I'm Bored). Ohi's delightful illustrations add the perfect touch to the dialogue between the characters. The facial expressions and body language convey perfectly the exhaustion and frustration the girl feels as well as the sadness of her friends. The different colors of text help readers understand who is talking. A delightful addition to the series that young readers will find humorous and relatable. Highly recommended.
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