Over-Scheduled Andrew

Debate. French film club. Bagpipes. Can Andrew do it all? From the award-winning creator of The  Most Magnificent Thing comes a book about an charming chickadee who learns – with the help of a “deer” friend - that busy isn’t always better.


Andrew loves putting on plays so he decides to join the drama club at school. Determined to make his performance the best it can be, he joins the debate club to practice his public speaking. He signs up for dance and karate to help with his coordination. Then he's asked to play for the tennis team and edit the school newspaper. Before long he's learning to play the bagpipes, attending Spanish classes and joining the French film club. Suddenly Andrew doesn't have time for anything or anyone else, not even his best friend Edie. And he definitely doesn't have time to sleep. Will Andrew figure out how to balance all his favorite activities and his best friend at the same time? A hilarious look at over-scheduling, a common issue many kids today face.

“Working in digital media, Spires gives her animal cast the polished look of Plasticine figurines . . . Spires makes it her own, bringing a playful touch to her writing and artwork. . . . By book's end, Andrew has returned to his love of acting and cleared his schedule, but he's also become a cinephile—something he might never have discovered without a stint in French film club.” - Publisher’s Weekly

“Andrew's interests threaten to get the better of him in this tongue-in-cheek take on an all-too-common plight . . . Reflecting Andrew's thespian predilections, the technically adroit illustrations feature small but broadly expressive animal figures in colorful dress, all placed in spacious, minimally detailed monochromatic settings that focus attention on the activity or emotional tenor of the moment. For children, a whimsical word of warning. For their parents, a pleasant surprise that this time they're not made out to be at fault.” - Kirkus Reviews