LUCK WITH POTATOES, by Helen Ketteman

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Ages 5 to 8
A Richard Jackson Book | Orchard Books

School Library Journal:
A modern tall tale that begs to be read aloud in your best Tennessee mountain twang. Clemmon Hardigree is a hardscrabble, hard-luck farmer whose every effort ends in disaster. His unique mountain cows grow so fat that the pasture caves in, creating what is known to this day as Cow Hollow. Clem spends his last few dollars on seed potatoes to plant in that Hollow and they grow so fast that they cause earthquakes and so big that just one fills the back of his truck. Finally, one of these giant spuds gets away from him and earns him a fortune. Floca's watercolor cartoonstyle paintings are reminiscent of James Stevenson's work, full of asides that sparkle with humor. Don't miss the fun! Virginia Opocensky.

Booklist:
Clemmon Hardigree, "a hard-scrabble, hard-luck farmer," never had any luck. When he goes into dairy farming, the pasture collapses from the weight of the cows. But Clemmon doesn't give up--he plants potatoes instead. The potatoes grow so big, Clemmon can fit only one at a time on the back of his pickup. When the first one is sliced open, out walks one of Clemmon's cows. "By the time Clemmon finished saving all his cows, he had a mountain range of potato chunks. He sawed them into planks and sold them to a lumber company." Ketteman has a firm grasp on the humor and stylistic elements of the tall tale. Her narrative voice is bemused yet down-to-earth, retaining its laconic style even as the situation becomes more and more outlandish. Reminiscent of James Stevenson's illustrations, Floca's watercolors effectively complement the increasingly outrageous plot and add punch to a very funny tale. Even Floca's cows have personality and presence. Janice Del Negro.

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