Thursday, November 13, 2014

The Reading Corner-- Two Old Potatoes and Me


Even though the potatoes are harvested, we keep coming back to this book. I think we have read it at least a hundred times! We have enjoyed it before, during, and now after our potato planting experiment--out of the hundreds of books in our shelves, this one just keeps getting chosen. I renewed it so many times from the library, they demanded it back when I ran out of allowed renewals...and then after I returned it, I went right back the next week and checked it out again with a fresh amount of allowed renewals. Is this a sign that perhaps we ought to just own the dang book?

It's such a sweet story about a girl and her dad planting potatoes in the back yard for the first time. The illustrations are colorful and fun, and the story is so completely relatable. From the moment the girl sees curling 'eyes' on a couple old potatoes and says "GROSS!" and her father suggests that no, they are not gross, they may actually grow new potatoes, we were hooked. After all, we had our own similar situation a year ago (click here to see the old potatoes we decided we'd try to plant).





Month by summer month the book describes the various steps in the potato growing process. I really appreciate that the book focuses on organic methods even if not stated; the girl and the father mention compost, hand picking bugs, and pulling weeds.

A favorite page--and delightful comedic break--is when the girl 'accidentally' sprays her father with the hose. We can't help but giggle, because we still have some pretty vivid memories of those hot days when we would all get an 'accidental' spray while watering the garden. Especially the day I got shocked and soaked by an unwitting hose-wielding child and couldn't help but laugh once I regained my voice. I think it might have been the best moment in the kids' summer. ;)



Because the book followed our potato journey in such a similar way, it has become beloved to us. I don't mind reading it over and over again.

An added bonus--a recipe for mashed potatoes at the end, which is exactly what we ended up making with our tiny harvest this year. The recipe suggests adding a pinch of nutmeg 'for good luck', something we'd never heard of but will surely be doing from now on!



Run to your local library and check it out!
Or click below to find your own copy.


5 comments:

  1. I love books like this...will keep an eye out for it. Thanks for the review. :)

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Julie! We read SO many garden books, and every once in a while one of them becomes worthy of sharing in a blog post (in my eyes, at least!). I imagine that your family does a lot of reading, too. :)

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