Greatest Potatoes, The (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Sharon Watts (Illustrator) "The finicky and fussy Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt loved potatoes..." (more)
Key Phrases: Cornelius Vanderbilt

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–In this colorful tale, fry cook George Crum invents the potato chip after a complaining customer, millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt, sends his plate of french fries back to the kitchen in disgust. According to an author's note, George Crum, descendant of an African-American father and a Native American mother, created this thin, crispy fried potato snack at Moon's Lake House Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, NY. Attractive watercolor illustrations, emphasizing greens and blues and curlicue designs, bring whimsy to the tale. Potato dishes are designed to look like the American flag or the Eiffel Tower, but none pleases the irascible Vanderbilt. An appended potato-chip recipe separates instructions for children from those tasks for adults. This unique offering about a favorite snack food will be a memorable addition for picture-book sections.–Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-3. Who knew that potato chips were invented in an attempt to cook the worst-tasting potatoes on Earth? This dynamic picture book is based on the true story of George Crum, an African American fry cook at a restaurant in Saratoga, New York, who, in 1853, did exactly that. It all starts when finicky millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt embarks on a mission to discover the greatest potato dish ever. Mr. Vanderbilt arrives at Moon's Lake restaurant, and George serves him French fries, and then hash browns, with no success: "Utterly inedible! Even the Congress Hall hash browns had more constitution." Down to his last spud, the disgusted Crum decides to give the Commodore something "inedible," deliberately overcooking and oversalting. Well, Vanderbilt can't eat just one, and the rest is history. Lively ink-and--watercolor illustrations capture Crum's culinary attempts (French fries stacked in an Eiffel Tower) with creativity. The jokes sometimes seem a bit sophisticated, but the story is fun and animated, the subject appealing. An author's note, a potato chip recipe, and a selected bibliography are appended. Karin Snelson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (June 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786851139
• ISBN-13: 978-0786851133
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,349,829 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History wasn't this fun when I was a kid, October 29, 2005

By	Milli Thornton "author of Fear of Writing: fo... (Youngstown, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This is a picture book for ages 4 - 7 with lively, larger-than-life illustrations and plenty of sound effects for the dramatic moments. Kids will need help from their parents or teacher with some of the more sophisticated words and foreign terms.

Trying to impress wealthy but finicky potato-lover Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, fry cook George Crum of Cary Moon's Lake House Restaurant in Saratoga, NY whips up culinary masterpieces such as an Eiffel tower of French fries. Vanderbilt is unimpressed and dish after dish is sent back to the kitchen. "Yuck! Utterly inedible!" he declares. Customers notice and start to abandon the restaurant.

George Crum decides that if Vanderbilt thinks all his best potato dishes are bad, he'll show him bad. His diabolical carving, frying and seasoning, intended as a practical joke on a bad customer, turns out to be so more-ish Vanderbilt pigs down a plateful and demands more. A legendary snack food is born.

I also enjoyed the "Great Potato Chip Recipe," and the Author's Note on the last page of the book where Stowell traces Crum's beginnings as the son of a former slave. Crum's "practical joke" is so successful, he opens up his own restaurant. Now, why didn't I know this important piece of history?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining read, August 30, 2005

By	blbooks "Becky" - See all my reviews

Loosely based on the "true" story of the invention of the potato chip, THE GREATEST POTATOES is a fun and entertaining read. When a picky millionaire comes to a restaurant on a mission to find the world's greatest potato dish, all the chefs tremble...all but George Crum, an African-American fry cook. He's convinced that his French fries are the best, but time and time again the picky millionaire Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt sends them back to the kitchen. Fed up with his customer's temperament, Crum determines to make him the WORST batch of fried potatoes ever. Since he complained that they were too thick-he slices them paper thin. Because he claimed they have no flavor...he salts them til they glisten. Etc. He serves a plate of fried, crispy, thin, salty potatoes-first called flaky fried potatoes-and history is made. Not only is Cornelius satisfied-soon Crum's potato chips are in high demand!

The author's note explains the legend of the invention of the potato chip. A brief selected bibliography follows. The book even includes the "Great Potato Chip Recipe" broken down into parts for children and adults!

Nice book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Salty Treat, January 3, 2006

By	The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

Potato chips are one of America's favorite snack foods. But did you know that they were invented by an African American? In THE GREATEST POTATOES, author Penelope Stovall introduces a new generation of readers to this little known fact, through a story filled with humor and rather outlandish characters.

The high-strung and hard to please Commander Cornelius Vanderbilt travels around the world to find the best potato dish. Unfortunately, his unsavory reviews have caused many of the restaurants he visited to close due to lack of business. When Commander Vanderbilt decides to visit Cary Moon's Lake House Restaurant, the chef is so afraid he refuses to cook, leaving the fry cook, George Crum, to prepare the potatoes. Commander Vanderbilt did not know it, but he had met his match in Crum. After repeatedly having his potatoes sent back, a frustrated George Crum sets out to teach Commander Vanderbilt a lesson. Surprisingly, what would later be known as a potato chip, was born.

THE GREATEST POTATOES closes with a brief historical note, which tells about the real George Crum and delineates where the story deviates from the factual accounts of his famous invention. In addition, the author includes a kid friendly recipe for homemade potato chips. Over the top characters are paired with complimentary, engaging and vibrantly colored llustrations, which draw children into the story and keep them interested. THE GREATEST POTATOES is the perfect balance of history and fun, and sets the bar high for similar books that will follow.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers