Bored Panda

by Mike Bender, Chuck Dillon (Illustrator)

Overview

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Come along with a tech-obsessed Panda as he goes from having a "boring" no-screens day to a joyful, out-and-about day. The New York Times bestselling creator of Awkward Family Photos wants you to know: being bored is not boring!

For Panda, there is NOTHING worse than being bored. It's just so...boring.

But what's a tech-loving panda to do when there's no electricity? Skeptical that the great outdoors will cure his boredom, Panda nonetheless sets out on a day full of surprises. They might even turn out to be fun surprises!

From the duo behind The Most Serious Fart comes a very not boring tale about how boredom is never really boredom—it's a chance to discover all the fun waiting to be had!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593433607
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	04/29/2025
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mike Bender is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of Awkward Family Photos. He has written the Junior Library Guild Selection, The Book About Nothing, The End Is Just The Beginning, and The Most Serious Fart. He lives in Santa Barbara with his family and can't wait for boredom to inspire his next idea!

Chuck Dillon has created award-winning illustrations for Highlights for Children, Scholastic, Dr. Suess Enterprises, PBS, Squishmallows, and his most recent collaboration with Costco and Monopoly. He is a proud member and four-time Reuben nominee of the National Cartoonist Society. Last year Chuck and author Mike Bender’s book, The Most Serious Fart, was featured on Ryan Reynolds’ show “Bedtime Stories with Ryan."

Editorial Reviews

2025-02-01
Some of Panda’s peers engage in artistic pursuits in lieu of screen time.

When the power to his tablet goes off, Panda, utterly and dramatically at a loss for amusement, sets off into the woods at his mother’s suggestion. There he encounters Porcupine, who’s about to start a painting and who’s quite keen on boredom: “It means anything is possible!” Next, he meets Owl, who is taking photographs, and Beetle, who’s “rolling up some fresh dung for a sculpture.” Though the other animals all invite Panda to join them, he walks on, “dangerously close to being bored to death,” until a lively outdoor art exhibition catches his eye. Porcupine’s paintings, Owl’s photographs, and Beetle’s dung sculptures are all on display. For Panda this is an inspiring revelation. He stops to notice things with enthusiasm on his return home and arrives ready to be bored a bit longer. While Bender’s simple, somewhat purposeful storyline is basically an exhortation to put down the devices, the illustrations are bright and energetic, and the humor is pitched to a young audience. Panda’s right eye is surrounded by dark fur, similar to the logo for the content-aggregating website Bored Panda. It’s a nice twist that this bored Panda is seeking out some real-life entertainment.

A worthy message in a visually lighthearted wrapper.(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

"A worthy message in a visually lighthearted wrapper." —Kirkus Reviews

"[A] tale of ­discovering one’s own imagination....An entertaining story much needed in a world with an ever-growing digital landscape." —School Library Journal

"A book about being bored that is somehow the exact opposite of boring. For every kid who’s ever said 'I’m bored.' And for every grownup who’s said 'Just go outside.' I love it!" —Brad Montague, New York Times bestselling author of The Circles All Around Us

"A funny, wise, heartfelt, and much-needed story about boredom and so much more. Bored Panda should be required reading for every family!" —Jarrett Lerner, author-illustrator of Enginerds and A Work In Progress

"Not only do I love pandas, but I love being bored because every fun, creative, mischievous idea I’ve ever had came out of boredom. So be a Bored Panda!" —Karen McCullah, screenwriter Legally Blonde and Ten Things I Hate About You

From the Publisher