Synopses & Reviews
Mr. and Mrs. OGrady 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. OGrady comes upon a big black object. Its a pot - no ordinary pot, for what they soon discover is that whatever goes into it comes out doubled! Suddenly the OGradys arent 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 authors 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.
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"Wonderfully funny and energetic." The Horn Book (Starred Review)
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"A treat." Kirkus Reviews
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"An entertaining tale." School Library Journal
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"Whimsical." Booklist
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"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
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"Just like a good Pixar film, 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....After reading One Potato, Two Potato, kids will gain a deeper sense of gratitude for their blessings. And as the holidays approach, they'll see that material possessions don't fully satisfy when the flurry of tinsel and torn wrapping paper has settled." Stephanie Cook Broadhurst, The Christian Science Monitor (read the entire CSM review)
Synopsis
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.
About the Author
Cynthia DeFelice is the author of many bestselling middle-grade novels and picture books, including Casey in the Bath and Old Granny and the Bean Thief. Her books have been nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award and listed as American Library Association Notable Children's Books and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, among numerous other honors. She lives in upstate New York. Andrea Uren is the creator of Pugdog and Mary Smith, for which she received an IRA Childrens Book Award. She lives in Portland, Oregon.