One Potato, Two Potato
Author(s): Cynthia DeFelice
Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady are so poor they have just one of everything to share – one potato a day, one chair, one blanket full of holes, and one gold coin for a rainy day. After digging up the last potato in their patch, Mr. O'Grady comes upon a big black object. It's a pot – no ordinary pot, for what they soon discover is that whatever goes into it comes out doubled! Suddenly the O'Gradys aren't destitute anymore. But what they really long for is one friend apiece. Can the magic pot give them that?
This retelling of a Chinese folktale pays tribute to the author's Irish heritage, and to the joys of an old marriage, new friendships, and the impulse to share. Using pen and gouache, the artist shows the "simple" characters in all their winning complexity.
One Potato, Two Potato is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Review(s):
“Wonderfully funny and energetic.” —Starred, The Horn Book
“A treat.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An entertaining tale.” —School Library Journal
“Whimsical.” —Booklist
“The homely sweetness of this deserving couple is ably captured in their ruddy complexions, shy, affable smiles, and gently unruly hair.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“DeFelice weaves in ample humor that both kids and parents will enjoy, and her lively writing is underscored by Andrea U'Ren's comical pen-and-gouache illustrations. Tantalizing.” —The Christian Science Monitor
Winner Parents' Choice Award Winner, Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Master List, Winner CCBC Choice (Univ. of WI), South Carolina Children's Book Award Master List, Winner Alabama Emphasis on Reading Award, Long-listed South Carolina Children's Book Award ML, Missouri Show-Me Readers Award Master List, Long-listed Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, Long-listed Missouri Show-Me Readers Award ML, Long-listed Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award ML, Winner Texas Bluebonnet Award, Winner Alabama Children's Choice Book Award (2007)
ISBN: 9780374356408