I'm Busy
by Michael Ian Black
Illustrations by Debbie Redpath Ohi
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Simon & Schuster
2026
40 pages
ISBN: 9781665915243
A very busy girl has an excruciatingly busy schedule she feels she must complete every waking hour. Her friend, a flamingo, asks if she can take a break and play or stand on one leg or hang out. A talking potato wants her to play in the mud with them.The girl shows Flamingo and Potato her very busy schedule. Flamingo can't read but the girl tells them what's on her upcoming schedule.
Young readers will see her calendar for the month of September, and it's full every single day. There's trumpet practice, her jazz band concert, Spanish club, her math test and even more challenging endeavors like writing a play, learning to speak French, and working on a comedy routine. It's great to have goals, but she realizes with her friends' input she might be too busy! She agrees to save some time for herself and her friends, realizing she needs BALANCE. Balance is one thing Flamingo knows a lot about! Frolicking in the mud with her friends is the best therapy for busy.
End pages are illustrated with the word BUSY starting out small and growing larger on the page. This mirrors the stress of the character. The front cover shows the girl balancing a huge stack of books and papers. As she walks, there is a trail of papers and notebooks in her wake while two very distressed looking friends look on.
Illustrations by Debbie Redpath Ohi put this picture book over the top. Brilliant and fun, the illustrations capture the tone and most importantly, the reader. Five HUGE stars!
Highly, highly recommended ages 2 and up. What fun!
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