* Black (A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea) keeps this simple concept funny all the way through its final, LOL zinger. Debut illustrator Ohi's minimalist, scraggly digital drawings are anything but boring, and speak volumes about irritation, desperation, and disdain.--Publishers Weekly, starred review
Genuinely funny moments.... [The girl] demonstrates cartwheels, ninja kicks and imagination games-lion taming; dragons and swords; forcing the potato to walk a pirate-ship plank-all of which Ohi sketches in pale blue.--Kirkus Reviews
Ohi's captivating, digitally created illustrations are full of wit and charm.... Quirky and fun to read aloud, this book is a sure antidote for cases of ennui. * School Library Journal *
A Notable Children's Book Of 2012 * The New York Times Sunday Book Review *
[Michael Ian] Black, a comedian, has become a fine children's book storyteller.... Readers will not be bored. * The New York Times Book Review *
Beautifully written by Michael Ian Black and gorgeously illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi... It has the courage to go unfashionably old-school and suggest that our imagination, not our gadgets, is the only cure [for boredom].... Both the writing and the illustrations are fearless. * The Globe & Mail *
Fans of Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series will delight in the latest book by American comedian Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Toronto graphic artist Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Echoing Willems, Black's story is constructed around the dialogue of an unlikely couple, in this case a small girl and a potato. The text is perfectly complemented by Ohi's quirky minimalist drawings. * Quill & Quire *
Sometimes a picture book gets it just right. And by 'it,' I mean clever concept, smart execution and all-around child-friendly vibe. It's rare for one of those picture books to have been written by a so-called celebrity author-someone who made a name for him or herself in Hollywood and then decided to write children's books-but Michael Ian Black has proven to be the exception to the rule. -- Julie Danielson * Kirkus Reviews blog *
Black...tells his story in sprightly fashion. The illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi convincingly draws a child full of life, a potato full of - well, potatotude, and computer drawings that look just like good old-fashioned linocuts. Her smart cartoony artwork matches Black's perfect comic timing, making for a fun ride that should leave you amused, perhaps pensive, and no longer bored. * The New York Times Sunday Book Review *
