The Amazing Potato: A Story in Which the Incas, Conquistadors, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Wars, Famines, Immigrants, and French Fries All P - Hardcover

Grade 3-7-- Meltzer has chosen a rather unusual subject for his latest topic. Designed as a history, Amazing Potato begins with the discovery of the potato in ancient Peru where the Inca were already cultivating and preserving it, and concludes with present day uses and research. Little-known facts come to life as Meltzer tells how the potato made its way to North America and Europe, often being rejected as food fit for human consumption. The chapters on the famine in Ireland are probably the best available. This information, combined with a brief discussion of the socio-economic conditions of the times, results in a text that is not readily found elsewhere. Captioned illustrations include many black-and-white photos and pen-and-ink drawings. In addition to serving as a good reference, this unusual title might just be the thing for general nonfiction assignments.
- Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Meltzer's long subtitle--``A Story in Which the Incas, Conquistadors, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Wars, Famines, Immigrants, and French Fries All Play a Part''--suggests the range of his latest fascinating exploration of social history. Covering the potato's nutritional value and economic importance, its early culture and the superstitions that attended its spread, the terrible consequences of Ireland's potato famine and the effect in the US of the attendant migration, and even some methods of cooking this versatile vegetable, Meltzer skillfully dramatizes the interrelationships among different fields of knowledge and the far-reaching effects a single species can have on the fortunes of mankind. Well-chosen b&w illustrations, mostly historical; bibliography; excellent source notes; index. (Nonfiction. 9+) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.