Bored

by Felicita Sala

Utter boredom leads one imaginative girl to inspiration in this clever story from much-loved creator Felicita Sala.

Rita is bored. So, so, so bored.

She’s tried stretching her body across her bedroom, side-eyeing herself in the mirror, stomping her feet and swinging her arms. Time drags on, and there she remains: catatonic with boredom.

In her tragic and weakened state, her mind drifts to the beginning of a daydream. What if all the bored people in the world gathered together and got onto a bus? What if the boredom filled them up like balloons, with tiny heads and arms sticking out? What if they floated into the sky, bobbing along until they each spied something exciting enough to make them toot the boredom out?

By the time Rita’s mother calls her for dinner, she’s very, very busy.

Anyone who’s ever been bored will find catharsis in Rita’s plight. As all creative people eventually learn, boredom can be the best launchpad to great ideas. Felicita Sala’s expressive, inviting illustrations and sly storytelling are a guaranteed antidote to the doldrums.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Storytime, Adventure, Family

48 pages, Hardcover

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

Felicita is a self taught illustrator. She graduated in Philosophy from the University of Western Australia. She has worked on several animation projects along with husband Gianluca, but her passion is making picture books. She lives in Rome with Gianluca and their daughter Nina.

Reviews

[Marta]

Metti che a furia di annoiarti poi alla fine non cominci a immaginare luoghi segreti e ti diverti pure. Così succede a Rita

[Suzan]

This is a really adorable and entertaining picture book! The illustrations are fun and creative, and the story does a great job of sparking your imagination. Highly recommended for picture book lovers.

[Ileana (The Tiniest Book Club)]

Rita is sooooooo boooooored.
This is a feeling each one of us has experienced in childhood and probably rarely felt as an adult.
Felicita Sala's illustrations express facial expressions and gestures perfectly. It's so much fun to see Rita slump and pull faces.

"She was so bored, she repeated the word 'bored' a hundred times until it didn't sound like a word anymore. And then she got bored of that too."

Rita starts imagining other bored people.
Bored people singing "The Wheels on the Bus", bored people yawning the song because they are so bored, bored people floating away because of all the boredom gas.

Out of boredom, a housewife from Florence builds a castle out of driftwood, three grannies from Sydney start a band and a high school student from Mumbai turns her yawn into a yodel and figures out how to communicate with whales.

When Rita's mom is calling her down for dinner, Rita can't come because she is BUSY…

This simple story is a beautiful celebration of imagination and playfulness. Genius!

[Sabrina]

Hell, if that wasn't super relatable...

Sometimes, you're just so bored that you look like a floppy sock, and your brain feels like a fuzzy rock. But that's what your imagination is for, isn't it?

[Aolund]

A delightful tale of extreme boredom leading to extreme imagination.

Themes: Boredom, Imagination
Age range: Toddler-Kindergarten

[Holly]

This was so charming. I laughed, at both the text and the illustrations. If I had a kid who read picture books, I would buy them this one.

[AllyP Reads Books]

I was bored reading this and did not like the illustrations at all.

[Rachel]

Rita is bored. BORED, she says!

This delightfully odd and energetic picture book is a wacky ode to boredom, and how it often leads us, quite unexpectedly, to creativity and curiosity. What begins as a dramatic declaration of "nothing to do" spirals into a wonderfully chaotic exploration of the ways we entertain ourselves when we least expect it.

Sala’s wiggly, expressive art - muted in tone but full of movement- perfectly matches the quirky, non-traditional storytelling. The result is a book that feels both spontaneous and meaningful, inviting young readers to reflect on their own moments of restlessness. It's a timely message for children growing up in a fast-paced world: boredom isn’t the end, it’s the beginning of imagination.

This would be a fantastic storytime pick, especially for kids who claim there’s “nothing to do.” Once again, Neal Porter Books delivers something special - unconventional, memorable, and refreshingly real.

[Jill]

You wouldn’t think a book filled with bright colors, lots of action scenes, and bold text would be about “boredom,” and indeed, it turns out not to be about that at all.

Rita was “bored, bored, bored.”  In spite of having a room full of toys, nothing interested her.  But then, Rita started to wonder how many other people out there in the world were bored.  What if they could all take a bus “to a special place, a non-boring place just for bored people.”  She imagined them landing on “Bored Island,” and from there, the story takes a turn.

All the bored people started to do things to ease their boredom.  Some formed a band.  Some invented things.  One learned to communicate with whales.  A pair of twins managed to warp space and time.  And so it went with all the bus travelers.  

When Rita’s mom finally called her to dinner, Rita didn’t want to go, because, she said:

“I’m really really REALLY . . . BUSY!!!”

Sala, the artist as well as the author, uses watercolors, gouache, colored pencils, and oil pastels to fill her pages with whimsical scenes full of fun details just waiting to be discovered. Readers will also be delighted by the characters who join Rita on the Boredom Bus.  Each displays a different comical, floppy posture perfectly illustrating absolute ennui.

Evaluation:  Rita’s insistence she is bored will amuse parents who have no doubt frequently faced that same complaint from their own kids.  In fact, numerous studies show that boredom fosters creativity, self-esteem and original thinking. Kids in the recommended age group of 4 and up who often claim to have “nothing to do" can see for themselves that a boring day can be a launching pad for endless adventures via the imagination.  Undistracted by toys or electronic devices, magical worlds await them!

[Therearenobadbooks]

Haha. Nothing is boring about this book but a hymn to fighting boredom with imagination and creativity. Perfect for kids that make worlds out of cardboards and nothing (or at least to inspire them to do). We are wired to make something out of nothing. Rita understands us when we become so bored that we can't even do the things we usually enjoy. But then when there is nothing our brains create worlds and stories. Love the art design the author/Illustrator created the perfect expressions for Rita, big unblinking eyes of boredom into busy full eyes of imagination. Dynamic pages to balance the ones where we can hear the boredom setting in. Awesome colors as well. Great page thickness high quality too. This is one we keep returning to more than once a week.

[Susan]

Einstein is quoted as saying "creativity is the residue of time wasted". Felicita Sala has produced a brilliant picture book called 'Bored' that gives life, humour and story to the saying.
Rita is bored and demonstrates that by repeating the word over and over, making strange and unlikely movements and yawning very loudly - in other words what everyone does when bored.
Then, because there is room within the boredom, Rita's imagination takes over and we are taken on a hilarious journey through all the adventures, new places and inventions that have arisen in the boredom space.
A laugh out loud book which could lead to all sorts of new imaginings and inventions by the reader. highly recommended.

[CONSTANCE]

Oh my gosh what a totally fun, laugh out loud book about a little girl named Rita. Rita is sooooo bored. She tries things like jumping up and down in front of a mirror as well as many other things to alleviate her boredom. Then she begins to imagine if all the bored people in the world were put together, then what would happen?
While not traditionally illustrated, the illustrations actually work perfectly for the story. And for any adult who absolutely hates to hear that title word uttered by a child (my hand is raised), here’s the book to help.

[Michael]

Bored by Felicita Sala was the perfect read aloud for our first day back after break. The story follows a girl who feels bored and, as she begins to fill her time, her imagination takes over and turns boredom into an adventure. It was an easy and engaging way to jump back into our read aloud routine, and the students were instantly drawn in, especially by the illustrations.

We used the story to spark a great discussion about things we can do when we feel bored, without turning to technology. This one is a great addition to any classroom library or home bookshelf.

[Stephanie Ward]

Oh Rita, we've all been there. So, so, so bored. There is absolutely nothing to do. Except lie there. And stare. And, eventually, let your mind wander and then daydream and then...

What a perfect portrayal of a child in a dreaded state of boredom! From the pacing to wonderful word choices, emotive illustrations to the surprising, but inevitable ending, Bored is just the thing every bored kid needs. Because being bored might not be so bad after all.

Huge thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance reader copy of the book.

[Linda]

Oh, poor Rita, so very bored, as Felicita Sala shows both in words and the hilarious expressions in her colorful illustrations of Rita, and others, who are BORED! Rita was so bored, it appeared that she tried numerous things, not exactly to be less bored but to just tell the world! For example, she repeated the word 100 times until "it didn't sound like a word anymore. She got bored with that, too. Other actions continued until one magic thing happened. You'll see, and it'll make you smile!

Thanks to Neal Porter Books, a division of Holiday House Publishing, Ltd. for my copy!

[Roben]

Rita is so BORED! She decides there must be other bored people in the world. What if... they all got on a bus. And then the bus driver had them sing Wheels on the Bus and they all filled up with gas and floated away - like balloons!

This is what happens when you're bored. You lose your appetite. You stretch. And you get very, very ... creative!

We all know what to do the next time someone says, "I'm bored!" Just hand them this book.

Take a peek under the dust jacket, the cover is different. This would also make a great read aloud.

[Tracyp]

Very cute! You won't have to be bored reading this book to kids. You could have the listeners try doing all of the things the main character, Rita, tries at the beginning of the story to relieve herself of boredom. She was so bored she couldn’t eat, read, or draw, so she started jumping, loud yawning, swinging her arms, stretching, etc. Then she starts to use her imagination, and the boredom dissipates. You could also map the places where the other bored people (in her imagination) were from: Savannah, Sydney, Mumbai, Japan, Brazil, Cairo, Ohio, and Sweden.

[Jennie]

A clever story that follows Rita through a boring day where all that she tries to alleviate the boredom fails, but entertains and amuses the reader. The boredom is so bad that her fantasies lead her to an adventure and then... she is busy.

Sala's muted illustrations are perfect - with the representation of boredom evocatively done - the poses of the bored queue of people is so clever.

Great fun and one that young readers will relate to - haven't we all been there?

CBCA 2026 Picture Book Notable title.

[Jess]

I first realized I love Sala's picture books when I read If You Run Out of Words, and I've kept an eye out for her ever since (although looking at her back catalogue, she's illustrated some fantastic books by other authors). This one is also the perfect combination of delight and a realistic portrayal of the way kids think and feel. While most adults could predict the ending, each page turn is a surprise once Rita's bored imagination really gets going.

[Jennifer]

Raise your hand if, as a child, you whined to your parent, “I’m boooorrreeeedddddd!”

Felicity Sala’s colorfully illustrated picture book Bored offers youngsters a look at where your imagination can take you…if you just go along for the ride. It was creative and a feast for the eyes and mind. It will surely cure your young one’s boredom for a minute—and longer if you prompt them to imagine with you.

[Michale]

I liked the premise of the book, and its end. The problem for me is that the author is Italian/Australian, and I fear that the numerous international and geographic backgrounds of the many characters will be incomprehensible to an American child. So, not a good fit for my cousin’s soon-to-be four year old. I must also admit that many of the noses illustrated by the author creeped me out, but a child might be fine with them.

[Andrés]

A reader will likely feel like they're on the outside looking into Rita's experience instead of an active participant in the imagining. Nevertheless, it can be a conversation starter about what to do when one feels bored. For more practical activities and advice, also check out While we Wait, which is more about the in-between spaces of the day, not so much long stretches at home.

[Caroline]

I love when a hyped-up book is actually so good. This book is actually so good. The illustrations have the most emphatic little figures who look just as bored as bored can be. The story is funny, but also sweet, but not saccharine. This is relatable for preschoolers or early elementary. This book is a total winner.

[Jill]

I wasn't sure where this one was going. I like the overall idea of embracing boredom and how just letting our minds be bored allows them to ignite with creativity. And also, the fart joke of it all was somewhat disappointing...but then again, a 40 something mom is not the intended audience. For the intended audience, a fart joke is a chef's kiss of a plot twist!

[Rachel]

A good one for older elementary read aloud. A girl is soooo bored that she mopes around the house...then she starts imagining what would happen if all the bored people in the world got together and went on an adventure. A clear message to kids that boredom can lead to imagination, invention and curiosity. The images are stellar and then humor is good for adults and kids.

[Camille]

This is one of the best picture books I’ve read in a long time! I love how Sala captured boredom in the faces, floppy bodies, and muted color tones. I enjoyed the slight humor and the subtle idea that boredom isn’t so bad.
I’d pair this book with Someone Farted by Kaplan, or I might go in another direction and pair it with Press Play by Tullet.

[Alicia]

An awesome message that boredom is its own thing and it's fun and cool to be bored because your imagination soars.

I loved the appearance of the brother in the doorway while she's being bored from contorting her body to making weird noises to laying still, she felt the boredom and realized that it's exactly the thing that makes her busy before she's called down to dinner.

[Taylor Woolley]

Rita as a main character was perfect. Her personality was well developed and spot on for a kid. The writing in this book was excellent. I love the line "Her brain felt like a fuzzy rock." How every character on Rita's desert island of boredom dealt with their situation kept me guessing. Funny, clever, and totally things I could picture a kid daydreaming about.

[Beth Clark]

I'm doing the Schlow Summer Reading Program Picture Books for All Ages Challenge.

I didn't care for this book. The story was random and I didn't like the illustrations. The children had pig noses! I can see how the story might appeal to children which, let's face it, is the book's intended audience. But as an auntie, I would not enjoy reading this to littles.

[Laura Masters (School)]

Rita is bored. So bored. She doesn't want to play with any of her toys or even eat a snack. She tries to entertain herself by scaring herself in the mirror and making noises but it doesn't work. Then her mind starts to imagine all the bored people in the world together having an adventure.

Rec: cute read aloud