The Amazing Potato Book

Susan Brown is a B.C. horticulturist, permaculture designer, and early
childhood education instructor.

Extensive potato history and lore interspersed with investigations,
games, cooking fun, jokes, quizzes, and puzzles chug on and on in The
Amazing Potato Book, expanding our awareness on this everyday topic as
they go. The author’s access to all the research material for “The
Amazing Potato” exhibit at Ottawa’s National Museum of Science and
Technology explains the abundance and variety of information collected.

Amazing facts include the quite recent origin of potato chips and the
huge volume of french fries consumed in North America. The Andean
origins of the potato are respectfully acknowledged. Readers will leave
the book with enough understanding to grow potato plants and choose
varieties for different cooking purposes.

The black-and-white cartoon illustrations effectively draw the eye to
the text, eliciting smiles and offering information.

A person of any age will learn some new things here. Children 5 to 12
may be the primary beneficiaries. Vocabulary is not simplified.
Independent readers may need to read at Grade 4 or higher levels. The
varied text design facilitates partial uses. The book could be used to
answer specific questions, to read through the comical pictures and
boxes for fun, or to carry out one of the activities. A glossary is
provided.

This is a well-researched, well-illustrated, well-written fact book for
young people.