THE POTATO KING - #PPBF

 Last week I was thinking of Spring. Today, SNOW is falling again. What a difference a week makes. Today is a good day to curl up with a cup of cocoa and a plate of cookies. (Okay, every day is a good day for that!) But--
Have you ever wondered why we eat what we eat?
Owlkids Books, Inc. from Canada published a translation of a book from Germany that shares one story. Whether it's legend or truth, the people of Germany believe! 

 

Title: THE POTATO KING

Author/Illustrator: Christoph Niemann
Publisher: OwlKids Books, 2015
Intended Ages: 3-7
Themes: Food, Myth

Opening Line: "There was once a king called Fritz. One day he heard about a new wonder plant from South America: the potato."
Synopsis: A retelling of a legend in which King Frederick the Great of Prussia (King Fritz) uses cunning trickery to convince his unwilling subjects to eat an ugly new food.

What I like about this book: Did you make potato "stamps" in art class? I did. And this book is illustrated with a combination of potato photography and potato stamped prints. Everything potato! With spare text, this book got me thinking about that opening question. Some plants used for foodstuffs have spread around the world. Who championed these invaders? And the reverse logic used by the king may tip off kids to a few of their parents' tricks. Wink. Wink. We know who we are.

Resources/Activities:

• If you don't know what a potato print is--watch this New York Times video post about the legend behind the book (it uses Niemann's imagery)
• If kids are old enough to carve with a knife, let them make a potato stamp. If they aren't, make the stamps for them and let them stamp away! Wrapping paper or framed artwork alert!
• Cook your favorite potato recipe. YUM.
• Read a stack of potato books. Some I've read: ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO by Cynthia DeFelice (A Strega Nona type folktale), THE ENORMOUS POTATO by Aubrey Davis (folktale), POTATOES, POTATOES by Anita Lobel (explaining war to children). More recommended by Windham County Farm to School. I wasn't able to find a copy yet, but I'm adding Kathleen Lindsey's SWEET POTATO PIE to my reading list.
• For older readers. Make a list of favorite foods. Research whether that food is native to your area.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoy my selection this week. I love to hear what you think about it in the comments!

This review is part of PPBF (Perfect Picture Book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books. Organized and curated by author Susanna Leonard Hill, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF