We at Bored Panda have always had a soft spot for art. Partly because there are many creators among us, including painters, photographers, graphic designers, jewelers, and writers, but also because we believe that creative endeavors teach us a lot about ourselves and the world we live in.
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So you can probably imagine our excitement when New York Times bestselling author and one of the people behind Awkward Family Photos, Mike Bender, contacted us saying he had been developing a children's book starring... a bored panda!
One thing quickly led to another, and now we are delighted to announce that Mike's idea has become a reality and the book is coming out on April 29! Unable to contain our emotions, we want to tell you all about it.
The book Bored Panda is written for 4- to 8-year-olds, but its author Mike Bender believes it can resonate with adults as well
Image credits: Mike Bender , Chuck Dillon
The story follows Panda, who got disconnected from the online world
Image credits: Mike Bender , Chuck Dillon
There was nothing left for him to do inside, so he decided to go for a walk
Image credits: Mike Bender , Chuck Dillon
Image credits: Mike Bender , Chuck Dillon
Image credits: Mike Bender , Chuck Dillon
However, Panda met some critters who weren't really bothered by boredom
Image credits: Mike Bender, Chuck Dillon
So he started wondering if there could be more to his days than just his devices
Image credits: Mike Bender, Chuck Dillon
"I feel very passionate about the theme of the book because we are living at a time when kids spend so much time on their devices and don't allow themselves to be bored," Mike Bender explained to us."I almost feel like boredom is becoming endangered, and so, in many ways, this book is about teaching my kids and others to see boredom as something positive."
The book is being published on April 29th, which is the start of National Screen-Free Week in the U.S. Preorder the book here!
Image credits: Mike Bender
"I've been writing children's books for almost ten years," Mike said. "The idea first came to me because I was a fan of Bored Panda for many years and the amazing artists that were featured on the website. It got me thinking about the very nature of boredom and how important it is for creativity..."
"Boredom leads to discovery, which leads to inspiration. And so, I thought this could make a wonderful children's book, because children often complain about being bored. And so, what if the little panda icon from the website was a character who learns to see boredom as... not boring!"
Bender used to read the Curious George books as a kid and at the beginning of the story, he sees Panda as an "Un-Curious George." "He isn't interested in going outside because he has everything he needs on his PandaPad... or so he thinks," Bender added.
And while the animal is supposed to be a direct embodiment of our platform, the book certainly represents the way Mike sees it. "I don't think Panda himself is a personification of the Bored Panda website, but I did model the animals that he encounters in the forest — a porcupine painter, an owl photographer, and a dung beetle sculptor — after the artists I had seen on the website. They teach him that boredom can be exciting, a window into creativity. So, I think through those characters, the spirit of the website shines."
Recalling the seed that sprouted the project in Bender's mind's eye, he said, "I liked the idea of the power going out at the beginning of the story so Panda wasn't able to distract himself with screens. It would force him to go out into the world and confront the boredom he was feeling. I love the metaphor of taking a journey into the forest because for me as an author, that's what I do every time I let my imagination run wild."
Once the concept became palpable, it was time for action. "Some books come together quickly and some take longer to work though. It took me about a month to finish the first draft of the manuscript for Bored Panda, but with many rewrites along the way," Mike said.
"I dedicated the story to my own children, who usually complain about being bored. [In those situations,] my response is, 'Great! I can't wait to see where that takes you.' So, I think I've always felt an affection for being bored."
But Mike also wanted to take a moment and give a special shoutout to his collaborator and the illustrator of the book, Chuck Dillon. "As a writer, you shape the story and the words but the most exciting part of the process is watching the illustrator bring the words to life," he highlighted. "In this case, Chuck created such a fun and vivid world in ways that I couldn't even imagine. I think readers will love spending time with all of the wonderful details that he used to create the world of the forest."
Meet the creators of the book, author Mike Bender
Image credits: Mike Bender
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!
And illustrator Chuck Dillon
Image credits: Chuck Dillon
Chuck Dillon has created award-winning illustrations for Highlights for Children, Scholastic, Dr. Seuss 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.