One Potato, Two Potato

by Cynthia C. DeFelice, Andrea U'Ren (Illustrator)

Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady are so poor they have just one of everything to share – one potato a day, one chair, one blanket full of holes, and one gold coin for a rainy day. After digging up the last potato in their patch, Mr. O’Grady comes upon a big black object. It’s a pot – no ordinary pot, for what they soon discover is that whatever goes into it comes out doubled! Suddenly the O’Gradys aren’t destitute anymore. But what they really long for is one friend apiece. Can the magic pot give them that?
 
This retelling of a Chinese folktale pays tribute to the author’s Irish heritage, and to the joys of an old marriage, new friendships, and the impulse to share. Using pen and gouache, the artist shows the “simple” characters in all their winning complexity.
 

One Potato, Two Potato is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mathematics, Magic, Fantasy, Storytime, Ireland

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2006

About the author

Cynthia DeFelice is the author of many bestselling titles for young readers, including the novels Wild Life, The Ghost of Cutler Creek, Signal, and The Missing Manatee, as well as the picture books, One Potato, Two Potato, and Casey in the Bath. Her books have been nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award and listed as American Library Association Notable Children's Books and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, among numerous other honors.

Cynthia was born in Philadelphia in 1951. As a child, she was always reading. Summer vacations began with a trip to the bookstore, where she and her sister and brothers were allowed to pick out books for their summer reading. “To me,” she says, “those trips to the bookstore were even better than the rare occasions when we were given a quarter and turned loose at the penny-candy store on the boardwalk.” Cynthia has worked as a bookseller, a barn painter, a storyteller, and a school librarian.

When asked what she loves best about being an author, she can’t pick just one answer: “I love the feeling of being caught up in the lives of the characters I am writing about. I enjoy the challenge of trying to write as honestly as I can, and I find enormous satisfaction in hearing from readers that something I wrote touched them, delighted them, made them shiver with fear or shake with laughter, or think about something new.” Cynthia and her husband live in Geneva, New York.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/cynthi...

Reviews

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this out loud to a classroom of first graders today. Based on an old Chinese folk tale, this story was completely new to these kids, and they were completely enthralled. When Mrs. O'Grady fell into the pot, there were audible gasps from the kids.

Two Classroom Uses:
[1] Have kids draw what they would throw into the pot if they had the chance. Just be prepared for lots of drawings of video games and moneymoneymoney!

[2] Read Lily Toy Hong's version of the tale, Two of Everything, which is set in China. Have the kids compare and contrast the two stories.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sweet story when reading it in a school library. I loved it so much that I asked for it as a gift and what a gift it has been to own.
It is a story about an older couple that has very little in life but is soon surprised when they find "one" potato.
The illustrations are simple but very meaningful to readers.
This would be a great book for classrooms, targeting many issues, including sharing, compassion and even math, as it is presented in this story.

[Relyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, love this book. It is one of a handful of perfect books that I can use for teaching so many things.

Classroom Connections
- folk tales
- math connection for teaching doubles
- writing with humor

[Melissa Ganka-Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd story. I really liked it at first and thought it was going to in the direction of a fable or legend. But just when the "lesson" should have happened, we ended up with a old clone couple? As strange at it was, I think kids will enjoy this weird story.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia C. DeFelice, Illustrator Andrea U’Ren- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of an old couple Mr. & Mrs. O'Grady. Their children have left to find their future. Their residence is a cottage on a hillock without trees. They are very poor survive only by eating one potato a day for every meal. They have one chair, one blanket with holes, one gold coin which they share. They wish that they should have friends with whom they should share their thoughts, happiness and difficulties. One day when they are down to their last potato, they decide to keep digging the farm to find more potatoes. an old man and woman, Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady, who are very poor and live in a little cottage all by themselves. They survive only by eating one potato a day for every meal. One day they discover they are down to their very last potato, so they decide to keep digging to find more potatoes. Instead they discover a black pot that has magical powers. It doubles anything that they put inside. Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady use the magical pot to gain more potatoes, then they double the gold coin. Mr O’Grady leaves for the market to purchase necessary daily use food items from the market. On his return, he knocks the door. Mrs. O’Grady get up to open the door, but her foot is stuck, she falls in the pot. Mr. O’Grady enters the house and pulls her out. Now, there are two ladies. Mrs. O’Grady puts him in the pot, now they are two pairs. They are satisfied with their achievement. They bury the pot at the place from where it was extracted. Message- satisfaction, family and selflessness. Their selflessness is also shown when they decide to put the pot back in the ground so someone else can be as fortunate as them later in the future. They were not greedy and only used the pot to gain enough for them to survive. Coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Mariana Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia C. DeFelice is a story about an old man and woman, Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady, who are very poor and live in a little cottage all by themselves. They survive only by eating one potato a day for every meal. One day they discover they are down to their very last potato, so they decide to keep digging to see if they overlooked one. Instead they discover a black pot that has magical powers. It doubles anything that they put inside! Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady use the magical pot to gain more food and money, and they even bring friendships into their lives.

The major themes of this book are family and selflessness. The O'Grady's lived in very impoverished conditions, yet they never complained to or about the other. They only ever wished for the other person to have more. Their familial bond was very sweet to read about. Their selflessness is also shown when they decide to put the pot back in the ground so someone else can be as fortunate as them later in the future. They were not greedy and only used the pot to gain enough for them to survive.

The book was very sweet and humorous to read even as an adult. I think the message is one that kids or adults of any age will pick up on right away. It will also make them think about what they would do or would have done if they were in a similar situation as the O'Grady's.

I would recommend this book to either teachers or parents of elementary students to help instill selflessness in children. It's not a long read and the humor will keep the children engaged. It might even be cool to ask them how they would use the pot and whether they would let others have a chance at its magic.

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very poor farmer and his wife discover a magic pot. They use it to make food and clothes and then another pair of themselves so they would have a friend. Then they decided they had just what they needed and buried the pot again so someone else could find it when they needed it. They were not greedy. Very cute book.

[Roshell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Children's Stories
Fables
K-1
I thought this book was an ok book, but I think it could be used to introduce the number two or counting by two. This would be a good book also to introduce never giving up in life. I believe this book is for preschoolers thru 1st grade. Fiction

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute.

[Emily Newcomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is lots of fun! It targets the serious issue of poverty in a way that is fun for kids. And who wouldn't LOVE a magic pot?

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was enjoyable and there is a jokey payoff but was the payoff worth all that?!

[Ashley Shrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would read this to show the students that yourself makes you a better person.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute read aloud book. Great for learning about letter "P" and for reading around St. Patrick's Day.

[Abigail Feldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is unexpected and fun, to say the least! I enjoyed it and I had no idea what would happen next.

[Nada Loughead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's the new cover and my review at https://canadiancookbooks.ca/one-pota...

[Marcia Van Camp]

Cute but too long

[Kay Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told in me Irish accent on St. Patrick's Day, this wee book is always a hit with me students!

[Marilin Equihua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Folktale
DeFelice, Cynthia (2006). One Potato, Two Potato

Motif: Magical object

Target Audience: Ages 6-8

Setting: A small cottage on the hillside

Character(s)/plot/summary: Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady are an old, poor couple who are content with their lives. They are happy sharing the little bit of belongings they have and eating only potatoes daily. Although they are happy with what they have and enjoy each other’s company, they would love a friend to talk to. One day, when Mr. O’Grady is out digging the very last potato from the garden, he comes upon a big pot. When he brings it into their small cottage, he realizes that the pot had magically doubled his last potato. Excited, they start to double all their belongings, including their only gold coin. One day, Mrs. O’Grady accidentally falls in the pot and doubles herself. Now there are two of her. The logical solution is for Mr. O’Grady to also double himself. Having found friends, Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady don’t need the magic pot anymore and bury it again for someone else to find.

Illustrations: The illustrations are very detailed. They portray the poor conditions in which Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady live. The illustrator used realistic colors and exaggerated the author’s words to make the illustrations more interesting.

Personal Critique/strengths/weaknesses: This is a great retelling of an old folktale about a magical object. The plot moves along at an appropriate pace for the target audience. The two main characters teach the target audience about sharing and unselfishness.

Awards: Texas Bluebonnet Award (2009), Wanda Gag Book Award (Honor Book, 2007), Parent’s Choice Gold Award (2006)

[Reaghan Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. and Mrs. Grady are a poor married couple that share absolutely everything. They have little but make the most of it. Yet they both long for a friend that they can associate with. One day, Mr. Grady discovers a magic pot that doubles anything that is placed in it. This changes everything. They begin doubling everything they own, until Mrs. Grady falls in accidentally creating two of herself. They decide that Mr. Grady must do the same. They realized they had found friends exactly like them, and had everything they could possibly want, so they rebury the pot.

A major theme in this book is finding joy in the small things. Mr. and Mrs. Grady barely had anything, but they had each other and that was enough for them. Even when good fortune falls their way, they remain humble and do not turn selfish and greedy. They remain generous and kind.

I gave this book a star rating 4.5, because the themes implicated in this book are easily relatable to young children and expose them to sharing, generosity, and kindness. It has a cute storyline that is entertaining as well.

I used to have to share everything with my younger sister growing up and I was so annoyed. I didn’t always want to even though I was spoiled. I learned to share eventually and I realized that ultimately, I wanted a friend to play with, similar to the characters in this book.

I would recommend this book because it has some great moral lessons of generosity, sharing, and humbleness. It is an easy read and would be great for a classroom setting.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be sort of strange. It was shortly longer than I expected and a little longer than I would have liked. This book is about a couple, the O'Grady's, who are so poor they picked one potato each day and shared it for all three meals. They were lucky to have the one potato they felt.
One day, while potato digging, Mr. O'Grady finds a huge pot buried in the dirt and carries it home to the Mrs. On the way he dropped the one potato in because, after all, he only had two arms and they were filled with this pot. When he reached him home there were suddenly TWO potatos! They try this experiment again with Mrs. O'Grady's one hairpin and all of a sudden she's the proud owner of TWO hairpins! Next came the coat, the blanket, the candle, etc. Not to mention a very large supply of potatos. One day the Mrs. falls headfirst into the pot and I'm sure everyone can guess what happens right? Should I mention the husband was not thrilled to find two wives all for little old him? :)
They toss Mr. O'Grady in and out comes a second Mr. Grady. Even with the very little that the original couple had the most they wished for was a friend for each. And now that they each had a friend, they were beside themselves with joy. :D

[eRin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady are very, very poor. They only have one chair, they share one potato a day, they have to make do with one tattered blanket, they have one candle that they never light, and they have to take turns wearing one coat in the winters. Nevertheless, the two are quite happy except for one thing: they both would like a friend to talk to. One day, when Mr. O'Grady digs up the last potato in the garden, he unearths a strange pot that has a magical quality--whenever something is placed in it, two come out. What will happen now that they can double almost anything?

Very cute retelling of an old Chinese story--but with an Irish twist. Cute illustrations and adorable, loving characters. Fun read.

[Jourdan Aanenson]

The O'gradys are so poor, they share everything in their old house, until the day comes they dig up a mysterious object in their potato field.

The pictures in this story almost seem to be close to a photo like painting. They have very distinct objects. In the O'gradys house it shows that they truely do share everything because there is very little things inside their small house of theirs. This would be a great story to share with a classroom because it just goes to show a lot comes to people who are don't have a lot. Espiceally when they are nice old people that do everything to help others. This story with the pictures and the words can be used to teach a content of character lesson as well. It would be easier for the students to relate to a story such as this one.

[Jennifer Danko · Rating 4 out of 5]

DeFelice, Cynthia C., and Andrea U'Ren. One Potato, Two Potato. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2006. Print.
Genre: Picture Book

The illustrations, done by Andrea U’Ren, stay to true the story that Cynthia Defelice is telling. Each page has a picture to match the action that is occurring in the book. The color scheme that is used is very basic and limited. This is done to address the condition the poor O’Grady’s live in. This book is good for children to understand that sometimes only the basic necessities are needed to be happy in life. It also teaches the children that it is important to not be greedy. I would recommend this book for any parent or teacher who would like to teach a child a moral lesson.

[Mike Romesburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theme: "Economic Diversity"

I loved reading "One Potato, Two Potato". First of all, the story communicated the message that it is possible to be happy in life with the bare minimum of living supplies. For instance, Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady had each other, a coat, a candle and a bed and lived for years happily together. Also and more importantly, once the O'Grady's found a magic pot that allowed them to duplicate their belongings, they did not allow the newly acquired riches to change who they were as people. "One Potato, Two potato" is a great classroom tool and helps students realize that as long as you have a basic shelter and one or two people who care, everything is going to be okay.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady are very poor with only one potato per day to share. While digging up the last potato, Mr. O'Grady finds something that can't be a potato. In fact, it's a pot. The O'Grady's soon find the pot can double anything thrown inside. They are able to make more potatoes, another blanket and another coat. Finally, Mrs. O'Grady takes out their only gold piece and they multiply the gold until it is laying all over the floor. There's a cute twist at the end. Then, the O'Grady's have everything they could want and decide to bury the pot for someone else to find. THAT is what I like most about the book. The lack of greed! I recommend it!

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m predicting this will be next year’s winning book. Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady are terribly poor, so poor they must share everything, even their blanket, their coat, and, each day, a single potato. Then Mr. O’Grady digs up a black pot with the mysterious power to double everything put into it. The O’Gradys are now magnificently rich. Then Mrs. O’Grady falls into the pot and Mr. O’Grady jumps in. The two have everything they need in life, including friendship.

I especially liked how the O’Gradys, after coming into such wealth, took the pot back and buried it again, for someone else to find and use.

[Ashley Dement · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed everything about this story. It was humorous and full of excitement. It successfully delivered a message about valuing what you are fortunate enough to have in life. It also showed the importance of not becoming too greedy and only taking what you need to get by. The elderly couple in the story was easy to relate to because they had a similar outlook on life to that of my own grandparents. Once they had received what they needed they buried the magic pot so that someone else would be able to enjoy it. The illustrations were full of color and life, and they really helped illustrate the text.

[Samantha Gacke]

Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady don’t have much, but the content couple finds a magical pot and their luck changes.

The moral of the story is a very key one, and one that I think many students, especially students from low socio-economic schools, would appreciate it. Inner city students or students from low-income families can easily relate to the lives that Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady live. By hearing that the couple didn’t have much, but were grateful and were rewarded in the end, is probably a welcomed concept. This book helps to teach the student that it’s ok to not have much, because it’s the little things in life that make the most difference.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poor old couple discover a black pot in their potato garden. They quickly discover that it has magical powers. One potato dropped in becomes two. One hairpin becomes two. The couple become excited and begin doubling most of their meager belongings, including a gold coin which quickly becomes quite a stash. The husband heads off to town to purchase much needed sundries. While he's away his wife trips and falls into the pot. You got it, she becomes two. Well, there's nothing for it except for the husband to fall in and give the second wife a second husband. Finally when all is calm the couple have what they've wanted most in the world: friends to talk to.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady were so skinny that they could sit side by side on their only chair to share their one potato for dinner. They were so poor that they only had one raggedy coat, which they took turns wearing in the winter.

Then came the day when Mr. O'Grady dug the last potato from his garden, and underneath that potato....why, it was a pot! He toted it home, and the O'Gradys soon discovered that it was not an ordinary pot.

Delightful pen and gouache illustrations add to this cheerful folktale. Ages. 3-8.