Tag: potatoes

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, picture books, Preschool Reads

Garrrrr! Pirate Pearl needs Potatoes!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Potatoes for Pirate Pearl, by Jennifer Concepcion/Illustrated by Chloe Burgett, (Sept. 2023, Feeding Minds Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781948898157

Ages 4-8

Pirate Pearl and Petunia, her trusty parrot sidekick, sail the seas aboard the Jolly Oyster, but there’s a problem: all they have to eat is hardtack, and Pirate Pearl is sick of it! They make land and set off to find some better food, only to encounter Farmer Fay, who teaches Pearl all about potato farming. This informative, fun adventure uses pirate puns and bright, playful illustration to instruct learners on how to plant, grow, and harvest potatoes – and all the delicious ways to enjoy them. At the end of the day, Pearl and Petunia set sail, having made a new friend, and with a new food that’s just as easily grown on her ship as it is in Farmer Fay’s field. Back matter includes potato facts and recipes, with a heads-up from Pirate Pearl herself about having an adult help with any preparation and cooking. A charming and informative story for kids, and a great accompaniment to a STEAM or gardening program or lesson. Download a free activity kit from publisher Feeding Minds Press.

 

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

Chef Yasmina and the Potato Panic

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Chef Yasmina and the Potato Panic, by Wauter Mannaert, (Feb. 2021, First Second), $14.99, ISBN: 9781250622051

Ages 10+

Yasmina is a young chef who loves to work with food. Her dad works in a french fry restaurant (frites! frites!) where he coworkers eat their fill of fast food, while Yasmina makes sure to send her father healthy greens, spring rolls, and vegetable dishes. The family is strapped for cash, so Yasmina gets her fresh ingredients from her wacky friends at the neighborhood garden and, occasionally, from the mysterious neighbor’s rooftop garden. But something weird is afoot when the community garden is bought out by a wealthy corporation and plowed over with scientifically enhanced potatoes that cause some strange behavior in anyone who eats them! Not only are they obsessed with the taters, they’ve started barking, slobbering, and howling at the moon. Yasmina needs to find out what’s going on, fast!

Yasmina is quirky, but tends to be a little hard to follow. The smaller panels contribute to this; it’s hard to see what’s going on and subtle nuances may go missing with a first read. The artwork is fun and colorful, with exaggerated facial expressions and body behavior, but the main point of the plot – the genetically modified foods versus the small community garden – may get lost. Overall, an interesting read that I’m going to put in my library and talk up, because I think it’s a good book for discussion, but this may be an additional purchase for strapped budgets.