Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament by Anne Renaud and Felicita Sala

This is a silly made-up tale on how the first potato chip came to be. George Crum is a talented cook in a cafe. He can make just about anything. Everyone raved about his cooking until Filbert P. Horsefeathers shows up one day. He only orders potatoes. Mr. Crum got right to work fixing his best potato wedge. But Filbert P. Horsefeathers is not impressed, and he sends them back to the kitchen. Mr. Crum makes new potatoes that should be more to his liking, but again, they are sent back. This continued on and on until finally, he had enough. He sliced the potatoes as thin as he could, fried them in lard, and showered them with salt. He was certain these would be sent back instantly, BUT he loved them! Word spread near and far about these new potato treats and everyone came to be the first to try potato chips.

Our family has loved this silly story from the first time we read it. The vocabulary is rich and sometimes makes for a tongue twister for the one reading aloud. The illustrations are bright and bold. One suggestion, if you’re going to read this aloud, it’s best to use silly voices for each of the characters. It just adds to the theme of this delightful read.

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