in a nearby village.
And he spoke to his
citizens:
"Hear, hear! I give
you the potato. It
costs little to grow
and is healthy to
boot!"
Since we were discussing the subject of food in the previous post, I thought I would add my thoughts about a new book from Owlkids. It was originally released two years ago in Germany where Christoph Niemann lives and works. It is an imagined story that is based on a legend concerning a king and his admiration for the potato.
"King Frederick the Great of Prussia (also known as Fritz) believed that the potato could help feed his nation. But his people did not trust this strange new plant. In 1774, Frederick issued an order for his subjects to grow potatoes to protect against famine. But the people of the town of Kolberg replied:
"The things have neither smell nor taste, not even the dogs will eat them, so what use are they to us?"
As the legend goes, Fritz was so sure he was right about the potato that he finally tricked his subjects into growing them ... today the potato is the 'fourth-largest food crop on Earth.' I guess Fritz had his people's best interests at heart.
"This story may be a myth.
But to this day, people honor
King Fritz by putting potatoes
on his grave."
Funny, and brilliantly illustrated using potato stamps, this is a book that you should have on your library shelf. Now, get out the potatoes and see what kind of work you and your kids can do with a potato and some paint!
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