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Enormous Potato, The
Folk tales give us hope. They show us that we can succeed in spite of apparent problems. And they entertain. Perhaps this accounts for their universal appeal and their amazing ability to survive. "The Enormous Potato" is one such story that has been around for generations. Retold by professional storyteller Aubrey Davis, it shows what can be accomplished when everyone lends a hand to solve a problem. The Enormous Potato begins with a farmer who plants an eye -- a potato eye. It grows and grows into an enormous potato. Harvest time comes, but the potato is so big that the farmer can't pull it out. So he calls for help, first to his wife, then to their daughter, then to the dog and so on. Energetic illustrations capture the growing determination of the family to free the potato from the soil and the celebratory feast that follows their success.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
4 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Aubrey Davis
12 books44 followersI always loved to read. As a boy I had a passion for myths, bible stories, science fiction and Mad magazine. My neighbor was a writer for CBC. Maybe I caught the writing bug from him. I loved to write funny stories. My Grade six teacher liked them. But my Grade eight teacher hated them. So I stopped writing creatively until I was 42.
In 1970, I traveled across Europe and North Africa and discovered a remarkable collection of traditional Teaching stories by Afghan writer Idries Shah. These bottomless tales puzzled, shocked and delighted me. They helped me see the world and myself in fresh, new ways. They made me think like I’d never thought before.
In 1980, I began to tell them, first to my own children, then at weekly gatherings in Toronto. Later I told stories on radio and television, and in schools, libraries and festivals across North America. I created an oral language program for developmentally disabled children. I taught them language through story. They taught me how to tell and write simply and dramatically.
One day I was invited to tell a Chanukah tale to a large and very young audience. I couldn’t find a story I liked. In desperation I wrote one myself. The children loved it and so did Kids Can Press. That’s how Bone Button Borscht was born.
Over the years, I’ve worked as a logger, farmer, salesman and teacher. Now I write and tell stories.
My book, Bagels from Benny, has won may awards including the Sydney Taylor Award and the Canadian Jewish Book Awards Children’s Literature Prize. I have also written the screenplay for Sheldon Cohen’s animated film, The Three Wishes was published in October 2011 as Kishka For Koppel (Orca). My most recent book is A Hen for Izzy Pippik (Kids Can Press),Une Poule pour Izzy Pippik (Editions Scholastic).
In 1970, I traveled across Europe and North Africa and discovered a remarkable collection of traditional Teaching stories by Afghan writer Idries Shah. These bottomless tales puzzled, shocked and delighted me. They helped me see the world and myself in fresh, new ways. They made me think like I’d never thought before.
In 1980, I began to tell them, first to my own children, then at weekly gatherings in Toronto. Later I told stories on radio and television, and in schools, libraries and festivals across North America. I created an oral language program for developmentally disabled children. I taught them language through story. They taught me how to tell and write simply and dramatically.
One day I was invited to tell a Chanukah tale to a large and very young audience. I couldn’t find a story I liked. In desperation I wrote one myself. The children loved it and so did Kids Can Press. That’s how Bone Button Borscht was born.
Over the years, I’ve worked as a logger, farmer, salesman and teacher. Now I write and tell stories.
My book, Bagels from Benny, has won may awards including the Sydney Taylor Award and the Canadian Jewish Book Awards Children’s Literature Prize. I have also written the screenplay for Sheldon Cohen’s animated film, The Three Wishes was published in October 2011 as Kishka For Koppel (Orca). My most recent book is A Hen for Izzy Pippik (Kids Can Press),Une Poule pour Izzy Pippik (Editions Scholastic).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
January 23, 2021
تشبه قصة عندنا في مصر .. عن واحد فلاح بيسحب كرنبة ..
كوميدية .. للاطفال
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzywS...
كوميدية .. للاطفال
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzywS...
June 19, 2009
On the surface this book is nothing extraordinary. It's the story of a farmer who grows a potato whose proportions are so large, he needs the assistance of his wife and daughter, as well as the dog, cat, and a mouse, to pull it from the ground. They then proceed to clean, cook, and share the potato with the townspeople, until it has been consumed and nothing is left.
The illustrations are fun for children to see, but don't give away the storyline completely. The words chosen are perfect for early readers, yet simple enough for even younger non-readers to understand the storyline.
What made this book so special for us was that it was the first book my 5-year-old daughter read on her own. She needed help with some of the larger words, but the repetition of key words and phrases throughout its pages boosted her confidence in her reading abilities, and propelled her through to the end.
This was a cute story about the power of working together to accomplish tough tasks, as well as the importance of sharing what you have with others. I would recommend this book for children from toddlerhood through early elementary school reading levels.
The illustrations are fun for children to see, but don't give away the storyline completely. The words chosen are perfect for early readers, yet simple enough for even younger non-readers to understand the storyline.
What made this book so special for us was that it was the first book my 5-year-old daughter read on her own. She needed help with some of the larger words, but the repetition of key words and phrases throughout its pages boosted her confidence in her reading abilities, and propelled her through to the end.
This was a cute story about the power of working together to accomplish tough tasks, as well as the importance of sharing what you have with others. I would recommend this book for children from toddlerhood through early elementary school reading levels.
December 19, 2015
A farmer plants a potato that grows and grows until it's the biggest potato in the world. He has to ask his wife, daughter, dog, cat, and mouse for help getting it out of the ground. Once it's out, they feed the whole town. This felt pointless to me. It wasn't funny. It didn't teach anything. It didn't have any sort of lesson. It just is, and I don't really like that. I like for there to be some extra elements that set a story apart. This just didn't do it for me.
December 29, 2017
This is an entertaining story that is very similar to the classic Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy story, The Gigantic Turnip. The narrative is repetitive and builds with each cumulative helper, with a fairly predictable ending.
Beginning readers will likely enjoy reading this book, with its repetitions, large fonts, and small amounts of narrative on most pages.
The watercolor and pencil illustrations are cartoonish, with water blotched backgrounds. I enjoyed reading this tale and I loved the images of the various family members, but I prefer the original story more.
Beginning readers will likely enjoy reading this book, with its repetitions, large fonts, and small amounts of narrative on most pages.
The watercolor and pencil illustrations are cartoonish, with water blotched backgrounds. I enjoyed reading this tale and I loved the images of the various family members, but I prefer the original story more.
August 10, 2020
I apologized to my daughter after reading this to her. This book straight up sucked. The illustrations are quite nice but placed double paged so that most of the action is happening right in the middle where the page comes together so you cant actually see it. It's ridiculous. On top of that the dialogue could not be more repetitive with each page simply adding another person trying to grab the potato.
March 11, 2024
This book surfaces this time of year, for me, for St. Patrick's Day. I love it! (It is like the giant turnip and the giant carrot and other stories about giant vegetables!) The beginning of the description of it, in Amazon, is exactly how I feel about it!
"Folk tales give us hope. They show us that we can succeed in spite of apparent problems. And they entertain. Perhaps this accounts for their universal appeal and their amazing ability to survive. “The Enormous Potato” is one such story that has been around for generations. Retold by professional storyteller Aubrey Davis, it shows what can be accomplished when everyone lends a hand to solve a problem."
"Folk tales give us hope. They show us that we can succeed in spite of apparent problems. And they entertain. Perhaps this accounts for their universal appeal and their amazing ability to survive. “The Enormous Potato” is one such story that has been around for generations. Retold by professional storyteller Aubrey Davis, it shows what can be accomplished when everyone lends a hand to solve a problem."
July 26, 2018
Un livre a lire a vos enfants peu importe leur age
May 9, 2019
Really repetitive in the mode of "The House that Jack Built", but may be soothing for trying to get someone to sleep.
November 15, 2017
Title: The Enormous Potato
Retold by: Aubrey Davis
Illustrator: Dusan Petricic
Genre: European folktale
Theme(s): Community, potatoes, repetition
Opening line/sentence: “There once was a farmer who had an eye.”
Brief book summary: A farmer plants an eye and grows the world’s largest potato. He calls his wife to come help pull it out, but they are unsuccessful. The wife calls their daughter, but still they are unsuccessful, and so on it goes. Eventually they get it out and have a feast with the community.
Professional Recommendation/review #1:
CLCD
Donna T. Brumby
(http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...)
Petricic's bold, colorful watercolor and pencil illustrations lend a suitable Old World flavor to this retelling of a common folk tale. The classic cumulative tale, which in this instance describes the planting, growing and ultimate harvest of a giant potato, has previously been related in several other pictures books about similar carrots, turnips and other vegetables. Since the story is so short, there is not much that can be done to change the tale itself, but this particular version is cute and well-illustrated, and will serve well those searching for a new copy of this popular yarn
Professional Recommendation/review #2:
CLCD
Meredith MacKeen
(http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...)
Davis has retold the familiar folk tale of the struggle to harvest the biggest potato in the world. At first, the farmer tries to pull the potato out of the ground, but he is unsuccessful. Then he calls for assistance from his wife, and, when their joint efforts fail, the children, the dog, cat and mouse are requested to help. The combined effort ends happily with an enormous feast involving all the villagers. Dusan Petricic's artwork is rendered water colour and pencil. These humorous illustrations, which expand over most of the page, have a cartoon-like quality and add enormously to the story. The pictures of the farmer and his wife, who are potato shaped, and the pets with their expressive faces are wonderful. The story is retold in very simple repetitive language which makes the book more effective as a read aloud story than as a silent read; however, beginning readers will have a sense of accomplishment when they follow the patterns in the story by themselves. The repetition invites audience participation, but the style uses such a limited vocabulary that, potentially, the repetition can be irritating. Nonetheless, libraries needing to add to their folktale collection will find The Enormous Potato a welcome addition. Recommended.
Response to two professional reviews: The second review pointed out some really great elements this book offers. She notes that the characters are potato shaped, which I did not even notice. I did, however, make note of the repetition in the story, which this review also mentions. Both reviews say that this tale is a simple one, which I think would work well for new readers.
Evaluation of literary elements: The simple, repetitive language that is used would be good for newer readers. The illustrations reflect the story (the people are potato shaped), which adds humor to the folktale. To connect this to Molly Bangs’s principles, the potato is kept very grounded with the majority of the bottom part of the pages being covered in brown. Molly Bangs states that objects kept close to the ground represent objects that are grounded/secure.
Consideration of instructional application: I would love to use spin-offs of this classic tale to evaluate with my class. We could read different books that correspond to that time of the year. For example, the pumpkin tale would be read near Halloween. This is a good mentor text to use for a mini lesson on European folktales. It is also a good book to use to teach repetition, and for read alouds among young children.
Retold by: Aubrey Davis
Illustrator: Dusan Petricic
Genre: European folktale
Theme(s): Community, potatoes, repetition
Opening line/sentence: “There once was a farmer who had an eye.”
Brief book summary: A farmer plants an eye and grows the world’s largest potato. He calls his wife to come help pull it out, but they are unsuccessful. The wife calls their daughter, but still they are unsuccessful, and so on it goes. Eventually they get it out and have a feast with the community.
Professional Recommendation/review #1:
CLCD
Donna T. Brumby
(http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...)
Petricic's bold, colorful watercolor and pencil illustrations lend a suitable Old World flavor to this retelling of a common folk tale. The classic cumulative tale, which in this instance describes the planting, growing and ultimate harvest of a giant potato, has previously been related in several other pictures books about similar carrots, turnips and other vegetables. Since the story is so short, there is not much that can be done to change the tale itself, but this particular version is cute and well-illustrated, and will serve well those searching for a new copy of this popular yarn
Professional Recommendation/review #2:
CLCD
Meredith MacKeen
(http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...)
Davis has retold the familiar folk tale of the struggle to harvest the biggest potato in the world. At first, the farmer tries to pull the potato out of the ground, but he is unsuccessful. Then he calls for assistance from his wife, and, when their joint efforts fail, the children, the dog, cat and mouse are requested to help. The combined effort ends happily with an enormous feast involving all the villagers. Dusan Petricic's artwork is rendered water colour and pencil. These humorous illustrations, which expand over most of the page, have a cartoon-like quality and add enormously to the story. The pictures of the farmer and his wife, who are potato shaped, and the pets with their expressive faces are wonderful. The story is retold in very simple repetitive language which makes the book more effective as a read aloud story than as a silent read; however, beginning readers will have a sense of accomplishment when they follow the patterns in the story by themselves. The repetition invites audience participation, but the style uses such a limited vocabulary that, potentially, the repetition can be irritating. Nonetheless, libraries needing to add to their folktale collection will find The Enormous Potato a welcome addition. Recommended.
Response to two professional reviews: The second review pointed out some really great elements this book offers. She notes that the characters are potato shaped, which I did not even notice. I did, however, make note of the repetition in the story, which this review also mentions. Both reviews say that this tale is a simple one, which I think would work well for new readers.
Evaluation of literary elements: The simple, repetitive language that is used would be good for newer readers. The illustrations reflect the story (the people are potato shaped), which adds humor to the folktale. To connect this to Molly Bangs’s principles, the potato is kept very grounded with the majority of the bottom part of the pages being covered in brown. Molly Bangs states that objects kept close to the ground represent objects that are grounded/secure.
Consideration of instructional application: I would love to use spin-offs of this classic tale to evaluate with my class. We could read different books that correspond to that time of the year. For example, the pumpkin tale would be read near Halloween. This is a good mentor text to use for a mini lesson on European folktales. It is also a good book to use to teach repetition, and for read alouds among young children.
Read
December 5, 2017Taylor Swift: Her Song
By: Riley Brooks
Genre: Biography
Themes: fame, Taylor Swift, life before stardom, and on the rise
Opening Line: “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a star?”
Summary: This text is an original Taylor Swift Biography expressing her life story leading up to her second album/first headlining tour, Fearless. We dive into Taylor’s childhood in Wyomissing, PA and learn about where and how it all began. Then we see her growth through her move to Nashville and where she was as of 2013.
Professional Recommendation #1
None-old book, before she was famous
Professional Recommendation #2
None-old book, before she was famous
Response to Reviews:
Disheartening that no one reviewed this book! It was a biography from before her fame skyrocketed. I actually read this when I found it back in high school. I have been a fan for 11 years now, so I knew which book I was going to choose. It is crazy to read that again now because she was so young and at the time no one had any idea of the empire she would soon build.
Evaluation of Literacy Elements:
The book is an extremely simple text, friendly for young readers. It provides her story in a logical order and expresses her talents and her story well. It is informative and captures the Taylor Swift of that time very well.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
A mini lesson could include a debrief of Taylor Swift overall-- her timeline. This can give students an idea of how much time it has taken her to get to where she is today.
An extension activity could be to write their own song. Possibly in a group or individually they can write their own and perform it!
Wave
Illustrator: Suzy Lee
Genre:Photographic essay
Themes: fear, overcoming fear, personal journey
Opening Line: wordless. Girl is running free barefoot on the beach.
Summary: Here we see a young girl at the beach. She is seemingly afraid of the water. As the waves roar at her she roars back to fend them off. The wind picks up and splashes the wave down on her and she gets splashed. She overcomes her fear of the water and does not want to leave, but cannot wait to come back another time.
Professional Recommendation #1
PW Reviews 2008 May #1
Lee's (The Zoo) wordless two-color picture book will charm even readers who have never seen the postwar classics her work explicitly recalls. In it, a mostly solitary girl, conjured with a few broad charcoal strokes, encounters the ocean, all watery splashes and splatters of blue. Lee's spreads of the beach are drawn and painted in black, white and gray on matte pages; the waves are sloshed on with aqua. Dueling texturesâ€"dry charcoal, wet paint strokesâ€"mirror the silent conversation between the girl and the waves. The girl, hanging back at first, grows bolder, taunts an enormous wave, disappears under a burst of salt water, emerges drenched, and discovers the gifts the wave leaves behind. Her stick-straight hair beguiles; her expressions morph from suspicion to resolve to joy. The ocean is alive, too, with its own range of feelings; tranquil ripples, flamenco-like explosions of spray, spatters of foam. The book's oblong shape gives Lee a dramatic expanse of beach to work with, almost like a stage; five seagulls form a Greek chorus, advancing and retreating together with the girl. A book whose rewards multiply with rereading. All ages. (June)
Professional Recommendation #2
SLJ Reviews 2008 May
K-Gr 3â€" Lee's wordless picture book perfectly captures a child's day at the beach. Followed by a flock of seagulls, a girl runs delightedly to where waves break on the shore. She surveys the sea and together they begin a silent dance. She chases it as it recedes, runs from it as it surges, splashes in it when it calms, taunts it as it rises, and finally succumbs to it crashing down upon her and discovers what treasures the waves can bring. A panoramic trim size beautifully supports the expansiveness of the beach, and Lee uses the gutter to effectively represent the end of the shorelineâ€"until the girl crosses that line. Loosely rendered charcoal and acrylic images curl and flow like water and reflect playfulness, especially in the facial and bodily expressions of the child and seagulls. The use of blue in an otherwise gray-toned world calls attention to the ocean, which rivals the girl as a main character in this story. Wave is best shared in small groups for the younger set, but also suited for solitary enjoyment by older children. A simple, well-crafted story of friendship.
Response to Reviews:
These reviews do a beautiful job of breaking down the artistic elements of the text. They uncover a great deal of Molly Bangs principles in the depictions of the characters. Since it is just the pictures portraying the story, it is crucial that they emphasize the details of the story and they do a great job.
Evaluation of Literacy Elements:
This book uses three main colors to color a beach scene and a young girl. Using a young girl, fearing the ferocious ocean, the illustrator uses Molly Bang principles to show the reader that the girl is in fear. The wave grows to take over the page as the girl gets smaller and the wave dwells above her.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
A mini lesson could be talking about the ocean and water and its power it has. There is a valid fear because water is powerful but being knowing of it is important.
An extension activity can be a lesson on the ocean and we can talk about our fears in the classroom and choose a few fears to try to overcome together as a class.
I Face the Wind
By: Vicki Cobb
Illustrator: Julia Gorton
Genre: Orbis Pictus or Robert F. Sibert Winner or Honor Book
Themes: informational, wind, air, science
Opening Line: “Every face a strong wind?”
Summary: This book is an informational text about wind, air, and what it can do, where it comes from and how it is made. The phenomenon of the science behind everyday experiences make it interesting for children.
Professional Recommendation #1
Horn Book Magazine Reviews 2003 #4
Cobb's Science Play series successfully provides conceptually rich science for very young children. In this latest entry, Cobb starts with a familiar experience--the push of wind on children and objects in their world--to develop the concept of air being made of molecules. This may seem like a sophisticated topic for preschoolers, but Cobb pulls it off. An interactive format guides adults and children through a series of activities using common household objects, while the text supports these experiments with well-posed questions and succinct explanations. The format encourages adult and child alike to actually think about the concepts behind the activities. The combination of the inventive layout and Gorton's playful illustrations makes a convincing invitation to investigate the science behind everyday experience. Copyright 2003 Horn Book Magazine Reviews
Professional Recommendation #2
PW Reviews 2003 April #4
Vicki Cobb continues her Science Play series with I Face the Wind, illus. by Julia Gorton. Beginning with a girl facing a strong wind, basic observations teach the properties of air to budding scientists. The mood is playful but the facts are specific and focused and Cobb includes experiments eminently doable by the preschool set. The digital artwork uses bold forms and creative typography to keep the tone breezy. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Response to Reviews:
I think that these reviews are great! The offer good opinion as well as evaluating the literacy elements of the book. They discuss the important science lessons in the text and describe how it is a good breakdown for children.
Evaluation of Literacy Elements:
This book does a great job of breaking down the everyday sciences that occur for children to understand. They talk about the interesting wonders around us. Along with manageable text, the illustrations provide helpful insight for what the text is saying. With colors and well drawn out illustrations, the book is easy to follow and breaks down interesting, relevant and hard materials.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
An extension activity for this book would be to take each of these science examples seen in the book and practice one with the class each day for a week. We can discover the wonders of science, wind and the air around us through these activities and make the book come to life!
By: Riley Brooks
Genre: Biography
Themes: fame, Taylor Swift, life before stardom, and on the rise
Opening Line: “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a star?”
Summary: This text is an original Taylor Swift Biography expressing her life story leading up to her second album/first headlining tour, Fearless. We dive into Taylor’s childhood in Wyomissing, PA and learn about where and how it all began. Then we see her growth through her move to Nashville and where she was as of 2013.
Professional Recommendation #1
None-old book, before she was famous
Professional Recommendation #2
None-old book, before she was famous
Response to Reviews:
Disheartening that no one reviewed this book! It was a biography from before her fame skyrocketed. I actually read this when I found it back in high school. I have been a fan for 11 years now, so I knew which book I was going to choose. It is crazy to read that again now because she was so young and at the time no one had any idea of the empire she would soon build.
Evaluation of Literacy Elements:
The book is an extremely simple text, friendly for young readers. It provides her story in a logical order and expresses her talents and her story well. It is informative and captures the Taylor Swift of that time very well.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
A mini lesson could include a debrief of Taylor Swift overall-- her timeline. This can give students an idea of how much time it has taken her to get to where she is today.
An extension activity could be to write their own song. Possibly in a group or individually they can write their own and perform it!
Wave
Illustrator: Suzy Lee
Genre:Photographic essay
Themes: fear, overcoming fear, personal journey
Opening Line: wordless. Girl is running free barefoot on the beach.
Summary: Here we see a young girl at the beach. She is seemingly afraid of the water. As the waves roar at her she roars back to fend them off. The wind picks up and splashes the wave down on her and she gets splashed. She overcomes her fear of the water and does not want to leave, but cannot wait to come back another time.
Professional Recommendation #1
PW Reviews 2008 May #1
Lee's (The Zoo) wordless two-color picture book will charm even readers who have never seen the postwar classics her work explicitly recalls. In it, a mostly solitary girl, conjured with a few broad charcoal strokes, encounters the ocean, all watery splashes and splatters of blue. Lee's spreads of the beach are drawn and painted in black, white and gray on matte pages; the waves are sloshed on with aqua. Dueling texturesâ€"dry charcoal, wet paint strokesâ€"mirror the silent conversation between the girl and the waves. The girl, hanging back at first, grows bolder, taunts an enormous wave, disappears under a burst of salt water, emerges drenched, and discovers the gifts the wave leaves behind. Her stick-straight hair beguiles; her expressions morph from suspicion to resolve to joy. The ocean is alive, too, with its own range of feelings; tranquil ripples, flamenco-like explosions of spray, spatters of foam. The book's oblong shape gives Lee a dramatic expanse of beach to work with, almost like a stage; five seagulls form a Greek chorus, advancing and retreating together with the girl. A book whose rewards multiply with rereading. All ages. (June)
Professional Recommendation #2
SLJ Reviews 2008 May
K-Gr 3â€" Lee's wordless picture book perfectly captures a child's day at the beach. Followed by a flock of seagulls, a girl runs delightedly to where waves break on the shore. She surveys the sea and together they begin a silent dance. She chases it as it recedes, runs from it as it surges, splashes in it when it calms, taunts it as it rises, and finally succumbs to it crashing down upon her and discovers what treasures the waves can bring. A panoramic trim size beautifully supports the expansiveness of the beach, and Lee uses the gutter to effectively represent the end of the shorelineâ€"until the girl crosses that line. Loosely rendered charcoal and acrylic images curl and flow like water and reflect playfulness, especially in the facial and bodily expressions of the child and seagulls. The use of blue in an otherwise gray-toned world calls attention to the ocean, which rivals the girl as a main character in this story. Wave is best shared in small groups for the younger set, but also suited for solitary enjoyment by older children. A simple, well-crafted story of friendship.
Response to Reviews:
These reviews do a beautiful job of breaking down the artistic elements of the text. They uncover a great deal of Molly Bangs principles in the depictions of the characters. Since it is just the pictures portraying the story, it is crucial that they emphasize the details of the story and they do a great job.
Evaluation of Literacy Elements:
This book uses three main colors to color a beach scene and a young girl. Using a young girl, fearing the ferocious ocean, the illustrator uses Molly Bang principles to show the reader that the girl is in fear. The wave grows to take over the page as the girl gets smaller and the wave dwells above her.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
A mini lesson could be talking about the ocean and water and its power it has. There is a valid fear because water is powerful but being knowing of it is important.
An extension activity can be a lesson on the ocean and we can talk about our fears in the classroom and choose a few fears to try to overcome together as a class.
I Face the Wind
By: Vicki Cobb
Illustrator: Julia Gorton
Genre: Orbis Pictus or Robert F. Sibert Winner or Honor Book
Themes: informational, wind, air, science
Opening Line: “Every face a strong wind?”
Summary: This book is an informational text about wind, air, and what it can do, where it comes from and how it is made. The phenomenon of the science behind everyday experiences make it interesting for children.
Professional Recommendation #1
Horn Book Magazine Reviews 2003 #4
Cobb's Science Play series successfully provides conceptually rich science for very young children. In this latest entry, Cobb starts with a familiar experience--the push of wind on children and objects in their world--to develop the concept of air being made of molecules. This may seem like a sophisticated topic for preschoolers, but Cobb pulls it off. An interactive format guides adults and children through a series of activities using common household objects, while the text supports these experiments with well-posed questions and succinct explanations. The format encourages adult and child alike to actually think about the concepts behind the activities. The combination of the inventive layout and Gorton's playful illustrations makes a convincing invitation to investigate the science behind everyday experience. Copyright 2003 Horn Book Magazine Reviews
Professional Recommendation #2
PW Reviews 2003 April #4
Vicki Cobb continues her Science Play series with I Face the Wind, illus. by Julia Gorton. Beginning with a girl facing a strong wind, basic observations teach the properties of air to budding scientists. The mood is playful but the facts are specific and focused and Cobb includes experiments eminently doable by the preschool set. The digital artwork uses bold forms and creative typography to keep the tone breezy. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Response to Reviews:
I think that these reviews are great! The offer good opinion as well as evaluating the literacy elements of the book. They discuss the important science lessons in the text and describe how it is a good breakdown for children.
Evaluation of Literacy Elements:
This book does a great job of breaking down the everyday sciences that occur for children to understand. They talk about the interesting wonders around us. Along with manageable text, the illustrations provide helpful insight for what the text is saying. With colors and well drawn out illustrations, the book is easy to follow and breaks down interesting, relevant and hard materials.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
An extension activity for this book would be to take each of these science examples seen in the book and practice one with the class each day for a week. We can discover the wonders of science, wind and the air around us through these activities and make the book come to life!
November 13, 2017
Title: The Enormous Potato
Author: Aubrey Davis
Illustrator: Dušan Petričić
Genre: European Folktale
Theme: Farming, teamwork
Opening Line/Sentence: There once was a farmer who had an eye.
Brief Book Summary: A farmer plants a potato eye and it grows bigger and bigger. The farmer can’t get it out of the ground by himself, so he calls his family and some animals to help him. Eventually, they get it out of the ground and the whole town eats the potato.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...
Karen Leggett (Parent's Guide, Fall 1998 (Vol. 1, No. 1))
This folktale starts with the eye of a potato and ends with a long line of people and animals pulling an enormous potato out of the ground--and eating it right then and there. This simple, humorous story with its whimsical illustrations demonstrates the value of cooperation and the importance of even the tiniest helper.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...
Helen Rosenberg (Booklist, November 1, 1998 (Vol. 95, No. 5))
Davis uses a potato instead of the traditional turnip in this retelling of a familiar folktale. When the eye of a potato grows into the biggest potato in the world, a farmer must call for reinforcements to pull the vegetable out of the ground. Help comes in the form of the farmer's wife, daughter, dog, and cat, and finally a mouse, who adds just enough extra muscle to get the job done. The potato, when it finally appears, is huge, taking up most of a double-page spread and almost burying the folks who pulled it out. It's big enough to feed all the people of the town, who completely devour it. The hilarious watercolor-and-pencil illustrations add a freshness and vitality to a classic tale of teamwork.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with both of these reviews because the story is humorous to read. It shows that anybody can lend a helping hand, no matter how big or small a person (or animal) is, which is very encouraging. The illustrations are wonderful and pair well with the text.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: When the potato is pulled out of the ground, it takes up the majority of the page. This shows how big the potato really is compared to the people and it caught my attention immediately since it was in the center of the page. When the farmer, wife, daughter, dog, cat, and mouse pull on the potato, they are leaning backwards diagonally, which shows that there is tension and that they’re putting all their strength into getting the potato out of the ground.
Consideration of Instructional Application: For a minilesson, I could discuss with my students what folktales are and have them brainstorm some examples of folktales they may know. After the read aloud, I would teach my students about repetition, since the story incorporates repetition. Then, my students would continue adding more characters to the story and write their own example sentences using repetition. I could connect this book to science by teaching my students about farming and how to plant fruits and vegetables. We could even make our own class garden.
Author: Aubrey Davis
Illustrator: Dušan Petričić
Genre: European Folktale
Theme: Farming, teamwork
Opening Line/Sentence: There once was a farmer who had an eye.
Brief Book Summary: A farmer plants a potato eye and it grows bigger and bigger. The farmer can’t get it out of the ground by himself, so he calls his family and some animals to help him. Eventually, they get it out of the ground and the whole town eats the potato.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
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Karen Leggett (Parent's Guide, Fall 1998 (Vol. 1, No. 1))
This folktale starts with the eye of a potato and ends with a long line of people and animals pulling an enormous potato out of the ground--and eating it right then and there. This simple, humorous story with its whimsical illustrations demonstrates the value of cooperation and the importance of even the tiniest helper.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...
Helen Rosenberg (Booklist, November 1, 1998 (Vol. 95, No. 5))
Davis uses a potato instead of the traditional turnip in this retelling of a familiar folktale. When the eye of a potato grows into the biggest potato in the world, a farmer must call for reinforcements to pull the vegetable out of the ground. Help comes in the form of the farmer's wife, daughter, dog, and cat, and finally a mouse, who adds just enough extra muscle to get the job done. The potato, when it finally appears, is huge, taking up most of a double-page spread and almost burying the folks who pulled it out. It's big enough to feed all the people of the town, who completely devour it. The hilarious watercolor-and-pencil illustrations add a freshness and vitality to a classic tale of teamwork.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with both of these reviews because the story is humorous to read. It shows that anybody can lend a helping hand, no matter how big or small a person (or animal) is, which is very encouraging. The illustrations are wonderful and pair well with the text.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: When the potato is pulled out of the ground, it takes up the majority of the page. This shows how big the potato really is compared to the people and it caught my attention immediately since it was in the center of the page. When the farmer, wife, daughter, dog, cat, and mouse pull on the potato, they are leaning backwards diagonally, which shows that there is tension and that they’re putting all their strength into getting the potato out of the ground.
Consideration of Instructional Application: For a minilesson, I could discuss with my students what folktales are and have them brainstorm some examples of folktales they may know. After the read aloud, I would teach my students about repetition, since the story incorporates repetition. Then, my students would continue adding more characters to the story and write their own example sentences using repetition. I could connect this book to science by teaching my students about farming and how to plant fruits and vegetables. We could even make our own class garden.
January 24, 2018
It was OK, I guess. There's lots of repetition, which makes it easy to incorporate into a storytime. The illustrations are bright, but not totally my taste (not a fan of the yellow pages). Nothing really bad or good either way in those terms.
I guess my biggest problem is that there's not really a point, for lack of a better way to put it. No real lesson or moral, though it is billed as "[celebrating] co-operation and community." Didn't really pick up on that myself. No funny punch line either, though it apparently "revels in the ridiculous." Personally, it would have been perfect if the potato was all eaten down, except for one eye, bringing us back to the beginning, a la the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. I know this is a classic story set-up, all the family gathering to help pull up the underground vegetable. There just didn't seem to be anything that really set this apart. I guess I was just expecting more from the story, based on the blurb on the back cover.
I guess my biggest problem is that there's not really a point, for lack of a better way to put it. No real lesson or moral, though it is billed as "[celebrating] co-operation and community." Didn't really pick up on that myself. No funny punch line either, though it apparently "revels in the ridiculous." Personally, it would have been perfect if the potato was all eaten down, except for one eye, bringing us back to the beginning, a la the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. I know this is a classic story set-up, all the family gathering to help pull up the underground vegetable. There just didn't seem to be anything that really set this apart. I guess I was just expecting more from the story, based on the blurb on the back cover.
June 3, 2020
This is purported to be a retelling of a time honored international folk tale involving....a very big potato, the world's largest, one that takes a farmer, his wife, his daughter, the family dog, the family cat, even the family mouse (!!!) a helluva lot of pulling and tugging before it finally pops out, a HUGE potato, on it's side where it's...FREE TO LAY! Yknow, Frito Lay, get it? Anyway it's a funny, profound tale retold by Aubrey Davis with humor and a love of the absurd. Share this with your little... spud!
Four stars.
This potato book is a fork and a half full of humorous flavor!
Four stars.
This potato book is a fork and a half full of humorous flavor!
March 21, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book. The enormous potato exceeded my expectations. I was shocked to see how big the potato was. This book can be used to get children talking about the life cycle of a plant. This book can also be used to teach children about working together. The farmer wasn't able to pull the potato out from the ground, but with the help of his family helped him they were able to get the potato out of the ground.
April 27, 2020
A huge potato to be pulled out from the ground!
The farmer was not able to do it by himself, so he asked the wife, the wife asked the daughter, the daughter asked the dog, the dog asked the cat, the cat asked the mouse for help and together they managed to pull it out and make a feast for the town with it!
#Big potato is pulled out from the ground with everybody's help and a potato feast is made in the end.
The farmer was not able to do it by himself, so he asked the wife, the wife asked the daughter, the daughter asked the dog, the dog asked the cat, the cat asked the mouse for help and together they managed to pull it out and make a feast for the town with it!
#Big potato is pulled out from the ground with everybody's help and a potato feast is made in the end.
April 8, 2018
This book is a lovely way to teach children the importance of coming together and working together to complete a task. This book is about a farmer that grows the biggest potato ever it was to big that he needed help from his family members and the rest of the animals on the farm. The illustrations are a fun and relating to the story, they are colorful and big enough for ages 1-5.
April 26, 2021
This is a great book about a farmer who wanted to grow a vegetable but that vegetable turned out to be a big surprise with the help of his family and others around him. He was able to get that vegetable to grow and pulled out. Then after the whole town was able to feast for a long time. Great book about teamwork and family.
November 6, 2023
This book was short and quite repetitive but there was a semblance of a plot which is nice from a McDonald’s book. I also thought the illustrations did a great job accompanying the text. To be honest part of me enjoyed reading this and I think it was a fine accompaniment to guzzling down a strawberry flavoured yogurt tube.
February 26, 2021
This book has a repetitive theme to it and each page feeds from the page before to continue the line that repeats. The book shows how to grow a potato from the start of a seed. The book shows children that it is a good thing to work together because great things happen when we do.
April 24, 2021
Wonderful developmentally appropriate book for preschoolers. Good to follow with a class activity or project having to relate to this story. The Enormous Potato is just a fun kids book. Very entertaining!
March 12, 2025
We used this book to introduce folk tales and Ireland before St. Patrick's Day. The prose is repetitive so my students enjoyed it. We used different voices for the characters as they "read" the book to me. We also compared it to The Enormous Turnip and Big Pumpkin. The kids loved it.
October 24, 2017
I liked that the story was told efficiently. It was repetitive, as this story is, but no words were wasted. Illustrations were not my cup of tea but they get the job done.
May 31, 2018
A potato grows so large that a farmer has to enlist the help of his wife, daughter, dog, cat, and mouse to get it out of the ground.
A fun interactive story.
A fun interactive story.
September 22, 2018
:( L'ours qui aimait coller les arbes étaient vrm plus le fun.
1 star mcdo book.
1 star mcdo book.
January 29, 2019
Beautiful book! I used this for one of my lesson plans as a practicum teacher in my college's preschool. The kids loved it!
February 21, 2019
Cuties Storytime: Folktales and Fairytales
April 16, 2019
Cute story of how the Farmer and his family have to work together to pull the potato from the ground.
April 30, 2019
This was a really nice re-telling of an old folk tale. Everyone pitches in and everyone gets a nice reward. The pictures are lovely
Watch Johanna and Leeanne read this book on their YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/1pZloAT2iAY
Watch Johanna and Leeanne read this book on their YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/1pZloAT2iAY
March 4, 2020
Great book for our Potato unit in kindergarten.
June 15, 2020
Cute, picture story book about helping one another.
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