Are You Bored, Minimoni?

Babymoni

by Rocío Bonilla

Join Minimoni as she embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of boredom, discovering that sometimes the best adventures are the ones we create ourselves!

Minimoni is growing up, and while she still loves painting, she’s discovered many new activities: hiking, meeting her friends at school, playing hockey, reading in the library, and spending time with grandmother. Every day has something fun to look forward to—except for Sundays. When Sunday rolls around, there’s one thing she can’t escape—boredom! With no plans and nothing to do, Minimoni feels stuck. She is so bored! Or…maybe not?

In this charming story filled with whimsical illustrations, Minimoni learns that sometimes, when you think there’s nothing to do, there’s actually a whole world of possibilities waiting to be discovered. Perfect for young readers aged 3-6, this book teaches children that creativity and imagination can lead to the best adventures of all!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

Published March 3, 2026

About the author

Rocío Bonilla Raya

EN: After studying Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona, Rocio Bonilla worked in fields such as photography and advertising. Since 2010 she has forged two careers as an illustrator of children's books and a painter of murals.

ESP: Nací en Barcelona en 1970.

Licenciada en BBAA por la Universidad de Barcelona.

CAP en pedagogía.

Cursos específicos de ilustración con Ignasi Blanch y Roger Olmos.

Inicié mi trayectoria profesional a través de diversas disciplinas como la pintura, el muralismo, la fotografía, la pedagogía y, finalmente, la publicidad, que me mantuvo apartada de los lápices durante 12 años.

La maternidad fue el factor que produjo el viraje definitivo en mi carrera. Fascinada por el imaginario infantil, abandoné la publicidad y creé “Érase una vez”, una empresa dedicada a decorar espacios infantiles con murales pintados a mano.

En 2010 entré en el ámbito editorial. Desde entonces, he compaginado la ilustración de álbumes infantiles con la pintura de murales.

Como ilustradora he publicado diversos trabajos en revistas como El Mueble, Acosta’t y Barça Kids, cartelería y una cuarentena de libros con diversas editoriales.

Como autora he publicado cinco títulos: “Cara de pájaro”, “La montaña de libros más alta del mundo” y “¿De qué color es un beso?” (Premio del Ministerio de Cultura y Educación a los libros mejor publicados 2015), “Max y los superhérores” y “Mi amigo extraterrestre”, también ilustrados por mí, y traducidos en varios países.

Trabajo principalmente para los niños. Mis tres hijos son mis mayores críticos y mis mayores fans. También me ganan al memory, sobretodo el pequeño. Me gusta cocinar, hacer ositos de crochet y escuchar a Billie Holliday. Si fuera un animal sería un periquito. No me canso de dibujar.

Reviews

[Книжни Криле]

Има едно странно явление, което и аз, и мои приятели и близки наблюдаваме сред днешното поколение деца. Някои от тях сякаш обожават да им е скучно! Сякаш е модерно да покажеш колко си напред с материала и как вече нищо не ти прави впечатление и нищо не може да задържи вниманието ти. Но още по-лошо е, когато съвсем малките, които все още не ги тресе ранен пубертет, се оказват отегчени, въпреки че са заобиколени от играчки, или пък родителите им се чудят какви нови забавления и атракции да им измислят, само и само да разнообразят ваканцията, уикенда, или дори просто следобеда. Нима скуката е заразна? Нима не сме предали на децата си едно от най-важните умения – да се забавляват с помощта на въображението си? С това ужасно явление се бори Росио Бонийя в картинната книга с комикс елементи „Скучно ли ти е, Мини Мони?” и съпътстващото занимателно допълнение „Да играем с Мини Мони“, издадени у нас от „Мармот“. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Mehsi]

Een best leuk boek over een meisje die echt heel veel leuks heeft om te doen... behalve op Zondag. Oh, ik kon me dat best goed voorstellen, de dag voordat alles weer begint, maar toch ook een dag met vaak niet veel te doen. En vanaf dat moment begint er een heerlijk fantasierijk stuk. Ik wist al meteen wat er gaande was, ik kon me gewoon niet voorstellen dat de schrijver opeens naar een ander genre zou huppelen. Het einde was ietwat jammer, ik had graag of iets meer tekst willen zien van wat het meisje tegen mam zegt of nog een pagina.
Leuke tekeningen!
Dus een OK boek over verveling en verbeelding.

[Jan Mawdesley]

Reviewed by Trish Palmer for Bluewolf Reviews and New South Books
Monica, otherwise known as Minimoni, has grown. She has become taller and has stopped using her dummy. In fact, she goes to school now. Minimoni has a diary. She records her activities for each day of the week. She meets up with friends, has hockey practice, visits the library, goes to painting class and goes on hikes. But that leaves Sundays. What can she do on Sunday to escape from boredom?
Minimoni decides she should ask for advice. She visits the mouse, the rabbit, the bat, the spider and the snake. None of them can help her with any ideas. After travelling far and wide to ask various animals, the girl asks her Mum. Mum’s reply is, “Look around Minimoni,” And the double page spread shows us the young girl’s room. It is filled with books, paints, cards, toys, a cubby house, building blocks and cupcakes. There is no more room for any other activity. Her mum asks, “Do you really get bored?” The girl smiles and acknowledges her imaginary friends as well as her concrete toys. “No, not really”, she replies.
This attractive picture book, Are Your Bored, Minimoni has delightful illustrations; they are simple but stylish and cleverly depict Minimoni’s feelings and movement. The pages with white background help to bring the character to the foreground. Thes pictures are detailed and show a sense of movement and expression. The text is varied and interesting. This story covers a topic with which most children would be familiar.

[Bookmeaway]

Are you bored, Minimoni ? (Tu t'ennuies, Minimoni ?) - 2,75-3/5 - lu en anglais.

Une petite histoire qui traite de l'imagination chez l'enfant. Comment celle-ci peut agrandir les horizons et les pensées de ces derniers lorsque l'ennui vient les titiller. Ils développent des histoires, créent, partent à l'aventure. Se laissent emporter dans leurs pensées. Et voyagent.

Ça aborde l'importance de l'ennui. Qui permet grâce au temps et à une toile blanche - ou non - de provoquer la création et l'évasion.

Côté illustration, c'est toujours aussi fun et mignon. Il y a beaucoup de petits détails à observer, j'aime bien les décors et les objets éparpillés en fond.

*

Minimoni's week is full of activities. Hockey, library, hikes, painting... Each day as a specific plan. A lot is going in. Except on Sundays... Sundays are soooo borrrring.

A short and simple story about a child's imagination. How it can broaden their horizons and thoughts when boredom starts to creep in. They develop stories, create, and embark on adventures. They let themselves be carried away by their thoughts. And they travel in their minds.

This is how we play, this is why boredom is important. To be the spark and the start of creation, escapism, play and daydream.

As for the illustrations, they are still fun and cute as I remembered from the first book. There are lots of little details to observe. I especially like the scenery and the objects scattered in the background.

[Darla]

Minimoni loves going to school with BIG kids!

And she has a busy week:

👯Monday is friend day.
🏒Tuesday is hockey practice.
📚Wednesday she goes to the library.
🎨Thursday she has painting class.
🧓Friday afternoon is spent with Grandma.
🥾Saturday is for hiking.

Then on Sundays there is NOTHING. Minimoni doesn't know what to do with all that open time.

Being bored is the worst!

She goes on a quest for ideas beginning with the mouse who lives behind the red door, then the rabbit, the bat, the spider, the snake, the penguins, the whale, but nobody knows.

Then comes my favorite part: She climbs up a beanstalk (grown by an elephant) to ask an alien on the moon.

He says: "Have you asked your mom?"🌝

We zoom back to Minimoni's room where she is balanced on a pile of books, lost in her imaginary journey with a room full of engaging activities at the ready.

Look around, Minimoni. Do you EVER get bored?

[Julie MacKay]

This book was okay, not quite on the same level as the picture books that I give five stars to though.

Young Minimoni has a busy week with things to do from Monday to Saturday, but nothing on her schedule for Sundays, and she wonders what she can do to stop herself from being bored. In the end, we find that she doesn’t need anything on her schedule, using her imagination and the toys around her, she can entertain herself!

An ideal book to encourage the children in your life to be creative and see that there is no need for them to be bored.

The illustrations are fairly simple, but fit the story well. I love the picture of Grandma Lola who is getting right into role-playing Star Wars with Minimoni – that is my favourite bit of the book!

Thank you to Albatros Media and NetGalley for sharing an advance reader copy of this book with me. All opinions are my own.

[Beena K]

I am OBSESSED with the illustrations in this one, so full of tiny details but still with this lovely rough, sketchy quality that somehow makes them feel even MORE alive, I kept stopping just to stare. And the lighter text, which I know some people count as a flaw, ended up being one of my actual favorite things, it left so much room for us to throw in our own voices and little extra bits while reading, until by the end it genuinely felt like OUR version of Minimoni's Sunday and not just the book's. That final reveal about what she'd been doing the whole time got me embarrassingly emotional too. A total favorite, no notes, I could talk about this one forever.

Disclaimer: I got this book as an ARC (thanks to the author, publisher, and everyone else involved for this chance), and this review is 100% my own honest thoughts, written because I wanted to, chaos included, as usual.

[Theediscerning]

A day of boredom awaits our heroine, despite a most ridiculously OTT adventure to try and find out what she could do to stop from feeling bored. Buy these and you have the chance to not be bored by working out which order they're in – this is apparently Book Two (at least for English audiences) but is a lot older than Book One was. Oh, and you also get the same quirky design, fluid choice of font, and what seems to be a token turn-the-book-round-to-portrait spread, here showing an elephant watering the beanstalk that will take our lead to the moon to ask the alien for anti-boredom advice. See what I mean about ridiculously OTT? Good fun.

[Lauren Nash]

Minimoni's completely unscheduled Sunday turns into one of the most imaginative adventures you'll find in a picture book. Her quest to cure her boredom — consulting mice, penguins, and even an alien — is pure fun, and the payoff when you realize what she's actually been doing the whole time is so satisfying.

Bonilla delivers the message that boredom is creativity's best friend without it ever feeling like a lesson. Just a really, really good Sunday.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Andreea]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Albatros Media for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Love me a book about boredom, as someone who rarely gets bored but who also thinks boredom is good and it's especially good for kids. And this book shows exactly why: IMAGINATION!

Love me a book that not only opens discussions with the little ones, but encourages them to use the power of imagination to improve their days - especially those boring days with nothing to do!

[Linda Brennen]

A young girl named Monica has one day of the week with nothing to do. How ever will she prevent boredom?
My grandson and I both give this book 2 thumbs up each. His favorite part was at the end. I liked the paper airplane. It was a fun read for a Sunday afternoon.
Thank you Albatross Media for making this available as a read now ebook through NetGalley.

Find me on Fable
https://fable.co/bookishgramma-177585...

[Christie Kaaland]

MInimoni SAYS she's bored (on Sunday only, the other days she is fortunate: she has a lot going on.) But Sundays? YAWN! Although, really her words don't match with her surroundings. Actually, Minimoni's wild imagination definitely keeps her boredom at bay: she asks all her animal friends to recommend how to relieve her of the doldroms and she follows their recommendations.

The illustrations are whimsical and fun, matching the tone of the storyline.

[Ryan]

I love this book. I love the first book. I’m just enthralled with this series. Minimoni is a typical child, who’s every day is scheduled. Except Sundays. And Sundays she gets bored. She asks for help finding something to do, but it’s in the finding something to do that she’s actually doing something. These stories are great. I am really coming to like this author and the way they think through our children’s story.

[Julianne Harkleroad]

Tale as old as time, reinvented in this hilarious romp through boredom. The next time my kids tell me they are bored (while surrounded by 101 toys), I will tell them to ask the mouse behind the door for suggestions and read this book. Minimoni is hilarious and oh, so clever.

Thank you Albatros Media and NetGalley for this Arc!

[Audra PC]

It’s a simple picture book about a girl named Monica. Monica has a very busy week with activities each day but on Sunday her schedule is clear. She’s bored! And what to do when you are bored? Let your imagination run wild.

The illustrations painted a good picture, but the story itself left lacking. Like maybe Monica needed to be a little younger for a picture book.

[Marta]

Por fin he conocido a Minimoni y, como todas las obras de Rocío Bonilla, me ha encantado. Como siempre, las ilustraciones son preciosas, llenas de detalles que invitan a detenerse y disfrutar cada página por si nos hemos perdido algo.

[Nitoy Gonzales]

Huh?! I just don't get what this book is trying to send to me or for that matter to kids? The illustrations definitely is superb. I enjoyed the initial pages but when it came to that part the Sunday their is nothing to do, that's when I got lost.

[Kimberly (Bookblurbist)]

This was so fun and imaginative! The illustrations were also really well done. Minimoni is so imaginative and creative. This was such a fun way to show young readers the value of an imagination and sense of wonder.

[Flor]

Las ilustraciones son muy bonitas, pero el texto podría ser un poco más elaborado. Agradable para ver/leer con niños pequeños.

[Susana Fernandes]

Engraçado !

[Tatiana Gomes]

muito interessante na perspetiva da criança que tem uma agenda preenchida durante a semana e ao domingo não sabe o que fazer? então é puxar pela imaginação, e inventar as proprias brincadeiras.

[Kiwi]

Disegni davvero molto carini!

[Christine]

Илюстрациите са страхотни, текстът от друга страна не ме впечатли особено.

[Željko Filipin]

Minimoni is bored.

[Connie]

Good story for showing that there is always something you can do when your bored.

[Anna]

I received an advance copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

This was a very cute kids book. I loved the easy flow from reality into the child's imagination. My 4 year old enjoyed this book.

[Aitzi]

Sencillo y en la linea de los demás cuentos de la colección.

[Ana Isabel Lage Ferreira]

What can you do when you don't have anything to do?

This book reminds us in just a few pages the importance of staring, daydreaming, and boredom.
How creativity actually happens when you're most bored.
The trick? Accept the boredom.