BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
Alberto Salas is a scientist who studies potatoes - particularly those grown in the wild of the Andes mountains. So, he plays Paka Paka con la papa (hide and seek with a potato) with us! He has to be quick; some potatoes can only be found on the days their flowers bloom, and he's especially looking for the rare Papa de Zorro, his favorite, which is really hard to find.
This is a delightful non-fiction/biography. I learned that different potatoes have different superpowers, and that scientists can engineer the healthiest varieties to grow in the most difficult places, helping people feed themselves. I really liked the illustrations. Salas keeps a journal where he makes his own maps - these illustrations look like they could have come from his journals, along with illustrations of Salas working with the villagers to find and harvest his discoveries. The unusual cover picture makes perfect sense now. I liked this more than I expected to. Alberto Salas is Peruvian.
Lisa Librarian
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