QUEEN ON WEDNESDAY

A very bored little girl takes refuge in her imagination, where she becomes a queen who’s soon overwhelmed with royal responsibilities.

Nothing has happened to Thelma since Sunday. Now it’s Wednesday and, bored, she decides to become a queen. Initially, Thelma’s preoccupied with announcing her royal status, selecting “royal pets,” posing for a “royal photograph,” and finding assistants and the carriage she now needs. On Saturday, she’s busy looking for a “proper castle” and a “royally qualified” maid and animal trainer. By the time Sunday rolls around again, Thelma’s faint from hunger as she lacks a “royal cook.” Monday, she needs to find an electrician, a veterinarian and a plumber, plus a nurse for the “royal headache” she’s developed. By Tuesday, Thelma tosses away her crown and returns to being a bored little girl. Prominently featured in large, variably sized and placed type, the droll text is cleverly integrated into sophisticated paint-and-pencil illustrations that conjure a surreal, tongue-in-cheek atmosphere. Dressed in Victorian apparel and wearing priceless, oh-so-bored expressions, wide-eyed Thelma and her imaginary assistants engage in peculiar, pointless activities amid mysterious, undefined venues, contributing brilliantly to the overall ennui.

Imaginative illustrations fuel this playful exploration of juvenile boredom.