One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia C. DeFelice, pictures by Andrea U’Ren.

This is the story of an old couple who live in absolute poverty with only one chair, one coat to share between them, one blanket, one gold coin, and each day only one potato to eat.  When they run out of potatoes in the garden, the old man digs deeper hoping to find one, but all he finds is an old pot.  He places the last potato inside as he carries the pot back to the house.  But when he gets home, his wife finds that there are now 2 potatoes inside the pot.  The magical pot will duplicate anything placed inside.  Soon they have two tattered coats, two thin blankets, and many potatoes.  When the wife remembers the coin and they make copies, the husband heads to town to buy new things for them.  But it can never be quite that easy in fairy tales and the next twist will have children gasping.

Some picture books with this many words will bore children, but not this one.  The language is fresh, keeping the story vivid and wonderful.  I always enjoy when a storyteller allows her own love of language to come across in a book.  Add to it the illustrations with their vintage cartoon feel, and you have a great book for reading aloud to children from kindergarten through second grade.