The Biography of Potatoes.

Nikki Tate-Stratton writes children’s picture books and novels for
preteens. Her most recent novels are Jo’s Triumph, Raven’s Revenge,
and Tarragon Island. Her latest picture book is Grandparents’ Day.

Each 32-page title in this excellent series of books examines a different commodity. Most look at food (tomatoes, potatoes, coffee, tea, vanilla, corn, and wheat), but silk, tobacco, and wool are also included. Typically, each title includes information about the history, growing, varieties, harvesting, and processing of the crop as well as the end products associated with it. Cultural uses of the various products as well as relevant geographic, climactic, and economic details provide a sense of how the commodity in question is (and was, in the past) produced, distributed, and used in a global context.

Subjects like organic production, heritage varieties, fair trade practices, child labour, hydroponics, global warming, animal rights, bioengineering, pests and diseases, world hunger, biofuel, and the health hazards of tobacco consumption are covered in the relevant titles. Where possible, information and examples are child-friendly. For example, in the book about wool, some of the wool products pictured include tennis balls, knitted mittens, markers and felt tip pens, and hand puppets with yarn hair.

Informative captions and illustrated sidebars break the text into manageable pieces, making the books useful for children at a range of reading levels. Illustrations, maps, photographs, and bright, colourful illustrations enhance the informative, easy-to-ready texts. Many of the photos include children (e.g., wearing a silk sari, in a potato-sack race, eating a vanilla ice cream cone). Each book also includes an index and a glossary, the latter including words identified in boldface throughout the text.

Reading any one of these books is fascinating, but reading them all provides a wonderful overview of the ways in which global trade changes cultures, impacts economies, and is woven into the world’s historical tapestry. Highly recommended.