Potato Pants!

by Laurie Keller

A potato and his eggplant nemesis struggle to find the perfect pants in this hilarious, heartwarming tale of forgiveness by bestselling Geisel-Award winning creator Laurie Keller.

Potato is excited because today—for one day only— Lance Vance’s Fancy Pants Store is selling . . .POTATO PANTS!

Potato rushes over early, but just as he’s about to walk in, something makes him stop. What could it be? Find out in this one-of-a-kind story about misunderstandings and forgiveness, and—of course—Potato Pants!

A Christy Ottaviano Book

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Childrens, Food, Friendship, Storytime, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2018

About the author

Laurie Keller grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. She always loved to draw, paint and write stories. She spent much of her time performing in a local dance tour company and dancing in and choreographing some civic theatre shows.
She graduated several years later with a BFA in Illustration. She also got a job as a greeting card illustrator at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri. She is the author and illustrator of many children's books.

Reviews

[Debbie W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primary-aged children will enjoy this silly story which also teaches lessons in kindness, tolerance and patience! Fun illustrations!

[Shanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

my daughter loves this book so much that we plan to make pants for our own potatoes

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love getting to say "Lance Vance's Fancy Pants," while reading this aloud!

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

Potato rushes to Lance Vance's Fancy Pants Store for a one-day-only sale on Potato Pants! But when he arrives, who does he see but Eggplant, Eggplant who pushed Potato yesterday right into a trash can. Potato certainly does not want that to happen again! But how can he avoid Eggplant and still get a pair of Potato Pants?!

Fantastic illustrations and hilarious text.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun-loving Potato, devotee of the dance called the Robot and all things trendy, can’t wait for his one-time opportunity to buy stripey potato pants. But Potato spots his nemesis Eggplant in Lance Vance’s Fancy Pants Store, and refuses to go into the shop. Will Potato miss his chance for fancy potato pants? Read and find out!

Great not just for kids but for their grownups, who will laugh along with the tikes.

[Betsy Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!!

[Eli Millette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this a masterpiece? Yes.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it's clear that this book tackles forgiveness and giving others a second chance, it just didn't work as well for me as for some other reviewers. The idea of potatoes and eggplants wearing pants just seemed silly to me, and I couldn't get past that. The premise here is that Potato is just as eager as the other spuds to buy some new pants, but he is afraid to enter the store when he sees Eggplant, the very vegetable with whom he had a negative encounter previously. Although Potato is sure that there will be another scuffle since he has accidentally torn Eggplant's pants, that isn't what happened. Young readers will be charmed by all the potatoes wearing colorful pants as depicted in the illustrations, created with markers, colored pencils, pen and ink, acrylic paint, potato stamps, collage, and digital drawing. Some pages feature huge close-ups of the characters while others show several small potatoes running around. I have to hand it to the author-illustrator: The idea is clever and will appeal to its intended audience much more that to me. they'll get a kick out of the wide variety of potato pants on display at the end of the book.

[Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is said that Dante once toyed with the idea of devoting one of the terraces of Purgatory to endless, dramatic readings of Potato Pants!, for little will purify one's soul as effectively as that.

[Elizabeth Majka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful read is all about how badly this potato wants to get to the Potato Pants Sale. Does he? You'll have to read to find out, and you'll have plenty of laughs along the way!

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello friends! Our book today is Potato Pants! by Laurie Keller, a delightfully silly story about the importance of considering others.

Why is this potato doing the Robot (PO-bot)? He’s excited! There’s a special fashion event down at Lance Vance’s Fancy Pants store – a Potato Pants sale! He joins the throngs of other shopping tubers, spying a pair in the window that is just his style. But when the store opens, he spots something else inside: a larger eggplant trying on pants, the very same one that rushed by him and knocked him down yesterday. Why is the eggplant there?! This is Potato Pants Day (Eggplant Pants Day was yesterday)! Hemming and hawing as the potato pants fly off the shelves, Potato waits for the eggplant to leave – fuming, wondering, checking for potato pants availability elsewhere – but the eggplant remains. At last, the last pair of pants is on the rack – will Potato risk his safety to procure the pants of his dreams?

Wildly fun. The text, layout, art, and story are all wildly energetic with a sense of absurdist humor that made it so much fun to read. The story ends with a nice little message on being considerate of others, and knowing how to apologize and forgive. The mixed-media art is exciting and bold, with lots of fun details and humor. The length was great, and JJ loved the pace and tone, and especially the wordplay. Overall, a ridiculously fun read that we highly recommend. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Chance Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world-building for this strange anthropomorphic potato society is impressive. Artwork is zany and fun, managing to be chaotic without being overwhelming for me (and I'm easily overwhelmed). Cute story about excusing people for rude behavior, and apologizing for your own rude behavior.

[Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like potatoes? Do you like fashionable pants? Do you loathe mean eggplants? How about a store called Lance Vance’s Fancy Pants Store? Then this book is for you!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious read-aloud! “Yam chaps” had my husband laughing out loud.

[Aviana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking dilemma about a potato protagonist and eggplant antagonist that find mutual understanding in the end. Story beautifully told and beautifully illustrated.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stick with this one until the end. Once you get pass the nonsensical story about Potato, Eggplant, and a pants store; it turns out to be a fabulous story about forgiveness<\spoiler>. Full of puns for all ages.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Potato pants are on sale for one day only, but Potato is too intimidated to enter the store when he sees the Eggplant with whom he had an altercation on the previous day.

Potato really wants potato pants, but he also wants to avoid Eggplant. Eventually, he decides to face his fear, and because this is a children's story, the confrontation with Eggplant resolves amicably, and the source of the conflict turned out to have been a misunderstanding, which supports the idea that fear of a thing is often greater than the thing itself.

This picture book touches on bullying and intimidation. It also prepares young readers for the real life situation in which one has to choose whether or not to forgo something because someone with whom s/he has had conflict will be present. Family gatherings, particularly holiday get-togethers, are prime examples for adults. For preteens and teens, it is often a particular social circle, lunch table, or after school activity. (I myself have skipped out on many a social event because I knew so-and-so would be there and rather than encounter him/her I chose to avoid the entire situation. It always seems like people who hold not only differing but contradictory religious and political beliefs are never content to limit their conversation to the weather, popular television programming, or sports, and I prefer just to opt out.)

Of course, one cannot always avoid a particular situation, and while things usually don't turn out as happily as they did for Potato, the apprehensive party may discover that the thought of something is often worse than the thing itself just as Potato did. Of course, things might also go badly in which case it is best to remember that the only thing one can control is one's reaction and duck out as soon as possible.

I had no idea this book by was the same author as Arnie the Doughnut until after I read it. My preschooler took a shine to that story, and we had to watch the animated version multiple times a day for over a month.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interest Level: K-3

What can get a Potato excited enough to do the robot dance? Why, a one day sale on potato pants of course! But... who can make that same Potato angry enough to avoid the store and miss out on the stripey pair of pants in the window? Eggplant, that's who! Eggplant knocked Potato into the garbage can the day before and now Potato thinks Eggplant is going to turn him into mashed potatoes. Will Potato be able to wait until Eggplant leave the store? But there is only one pair of pants left. What is Potato to do?? Will potato miss out on this potato pants sale? Will Eggplant turn him into mashed potatoes? Read this hilarious book with the cutest pictures ever to find out what happens.

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[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Lance Vance's Fancy Pants Store announces that they will be selling potato pants, our tuber hero is ecstatic, having always wanted a pair. When he gets to the store however, he discovers that Eggplant, who pushed by him the other day, landing him a trash can, is in the store. Holding back, lest he be assaulted again, Potato watches all of his compatriots getting pants, until they are all gone. Or are they? When he finally works up the courage to go into the store, and winds up confronting Eggplant, he makes a surprise discovery...

With its alliterative text and lots of excited speech bubbles, I can see Potato Pants! making an excellent read-aloud at story-time, particularly for those young listeners who appreciate a silly sense of humor in their tales. My own funny bone, which is sometimes difficult to reach, wasn't really tickled here, but I can see that Laurie Keller's book will have appeal for many young children. I appreciated the message about forgiveness that is worked into the story, and think the bright, expressive artwork will keep many youngster's attention. Recommended to readers looking for new picture-books featuring madcap adventures and a silly sense of humor.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/29/2018 ~ I definitely have mid-elementary readers who will eat this up (oops, no, don't eat Potato!) This could also be a nice "bridge" book as readers transition from picture books to early chapter books (Alfie the Doughnut). I enjoyed the use of both speech bubbles and an omniscient narrator. Finally, the book could also serve as a prompt for conversations about apologies, assumptions, and forgiveness.

Award:
2018 Nerdy Book Club Award: https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2...

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nominated for the 2020 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Awards, only half the school has read it so far and now we are on Corona virus break - but the older students thought it was a funny book. All of the students loved the message of being afraid of someone because of how they behaved once and then learning that that person was not really scary - just careless. Some of us paired it with last year's nominee Giant Pants. I recommended that they all go home and design pants for their potatoes.

[Amber Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurie Keller does it again with this hilarious tale of a potato in need of pants. He is willing to wear Tater Trousers, Yam Chaps and even Cucumber Cords, just to avoid Eggplant. But all he really wants are potato pants and he finally has to deal with Eggplant face to face.
We were laughing throughout the book and had fun reading it over and over again. Kids will love Potato Pants and want to read it over and over again. Children will be drawn to the humor!

[Lindsy C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t always review picture books, but this one is hilarious!! My new favorite. I read it to my classes of ALL ages (including Jr. High), and even created connections to Pink Shirt Day. The kids LOVED the book & many of my younger students have chosen to re-read it on their own. We even created our own potato pants drawings in Grade 3/4 Art.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wacky little book where a potato is trying to get some potato pants he heard about. The illustrations are hilarious. The emotion is all over the little potato faces throughout the book. I LOVE IT! Very cute. Kids will enjoy this one. It is so silly and fun. Highly recommended for Grades K-3.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why are spuds so judgy?

This was a cute and fun way to teach kids not to judge one another. Be nice and courteous because you’ll never know the situation unless you talk to someone.

And who doesn’t like a spud who does the robot!?

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly delightful!

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious. And it's about so much more than just potato pants (if that's even possible)!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and bizarre. I wish it were a little easier to adapt to a two-person reading!

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! So creative and funny. I know my 3rd graders will get a kick out of the sense of humor of a potato.

[Ekollon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story about forgiveness, not judging others, and saying you are sorry. Very lighthearted with amusing illustrations. Not for the literal minded.