Once upon a time there was a Prussian King, Frederick, also known as Fritz, who saw potential in the lowly potato - a newly introduced crop from South America - and decided to plant it for his people. However, it quickly became clear that his subjects didn’t like being told what to eat. Determined to see the potato thrive, Fritz cleverly used reverse psychology to pique his people’s curiosity and make the crop popular, and the potato has flourished ever since. Potato-stamp illustrations throughout are simple and effective, exhibiting Neimann’s trademark wit and playfulness. The book includes a short informational note on the historical background to the story. Readers will be interested to discover how one of today’s most common foods likely rose to popularity and may also be inspired by the king’s creative problem solving.
AGES: 3-7 AUTHOR: High-profile creator Christoph Niemann writes and illustrates the popular Abstract Sunday feature in the New York Times Magazine (previously known as Abstract City and featured on the New York Times blog). His illustrations have a tendency to go viral, as they are usually witty, simple and-sometimes-surprisingly heartfelt. The blog’s greatest hits went on to become a bestselling book, published in 2012.