THE MOST BORINGEST THING

In Marx’s picture book debut, a diligent father tests the dullness of various activities and discovers new joys of parent-child interaction.

“This man, called Dad, who was the son of a man, who was the son of a man, who was the son of a man, was asked by the One to find...the most boringest thing in the world to do.” The man called Dad, depicted in Lauritsen’s hazy digital illustrations as light-skinned, sparse-haired, and dark-mustached, carries himself with the solid simplicity and two-toned dress sense of someone from a Dr. Seuss book. Accompanied by the One, Dad embarks on such tedious-sounding projects as watching paint dry, rain fall, and grass grow. However, paint can only dry after it has been applied—in riotous, messy colors. To watch rain fall, one should be up close and dancing in it. And when the grass grows, a riot of butterflies emerges. In each instance, the One and the man called Dad decide that their chosen boring activity is “absolutely not the most boringest thing.” Marx writes in straightforward prose, with intriguing phrasings and repetitions well calculated to engage young readers. Lauritsen’s crayon textures capture both adult nostalgia and formative childhood experiences. Combined, they convey a valuable message to young readers: The value of an activity is less about its intrinsic merits and more about what you bring to it—and the people with whom you share it.

A gently exuberant celebration of togetherness.