Note: I accessed digital review copies of this book through NetGalley and Edelweiss. ( )

I am a sucker for picture book histories, and this one is good fun -- the origin of the potato chip (perhaps), and a sweet homage to George Crum, who by all accounts was a darn good cook. Fascinating, fun, and lovely in the art department. Let's hear it for remembering obscure and interesting folks! ( )

Mr. Crum was a humble chef working in the heart of New York in the 1800s, and everyone loved Mr. Crum's cooking. Except for Filbert P. Horsefeathers, who was the pickiest eater ever. Every order Mr. Crum cooked up was sent back by Horsefeathers. Until Mr. Crum sarcastically fries the potato slices, but Horsefeathers loves them. The potatoes end up being called Saratoga Chips, aka potato chips. This was a very fun read because of the playful illustrations, the alliterations, and the cheerful storyline. I liked how the author's note mentions that the story is made up; however, Mr. Crum was famously known for creating the potato chip. ( )

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and this story is another example. Have you ever wondered where the Potato chip came from? Mr. Crum was a real man who came up with this food item. This story is a fun fictional story based on George Crum.

Mr. Crum was a wonderful cook who was known far and wide as a wonderful cook. Everyone loved his food, that is until Filbert P. Horsefeathers came into his restaurant. He wanted an order of potatoes. Three times, Mr. Crum cooked him potatoes and he sent them back because the slices were too thick. He finally got what he wanted, Potato Chips! This is a cute story with wonderful illustrations. The back of the book has a short biography of the real George Crum. This book could be used in many ways with children. It could be an introduction to inventions/inventors, used to discuss not giving up, even as a discussion about healthy foods, where various food comes from and how to prepare different food. I think kids will enjoy this one. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via netgalley. ( )

Most people aren’t aware that it was a mixed-race inventor who came up with the potato chip, the most popular snack food item in America. The son of an African-American father and a Native American mother, George Crum was working as the chef of an elegant resort in Saratoga Springs, New York in the summer of 1853 when he incidentally invented the chip.

One of the dinner guests complained that Crum’s French fries were too thick and sent back the order. Crum, irritated, sent back a dish of fries so thin, they couldn’t even be speared with a fork. To everyone’s surprise, the guest loved them. Other diners began requesting what would soon be called Saratoga Chips.

George went on to build his own restaurant and featured potato chips in a basket placed on every table. In those days, people of color were not allowed to take out patents on their inventions, and Crum never profited from his invention. [Today, potato chips are eaten at the rate of 1.2 billion pounds annually.]

This book begins with the epigraph: “the story you are about to savor is a fictional tale with a helping of truth.” The problem is, as the author writes in a note at the end of the book, the story about George Crum being the original inventor of wafer-thin potatoes has not been substantiated. But the outline of the story is true, as is the fact that his crisp potatoes were in such demand that customers began to order them as “takeout” in a paper cone. The author writes:

“George’s eclectic clientele - which included millionaires, farmers, politicians, heads of industry and laborers - came to him in ‘swarms, herds, droves and flocks,’ according the the New York Tribune of December 27, 1891.”

The best thing about this book are the colored pencil and watercolor illustrations by self-taught artist Felicita Sala. In an interesting departure from other illustrators of children’s books, she began her career by selling her paintings on the street as a way to earn extra income. Be sure to check out her blog posts of illustrated recipes, here.

Evaluation: This fun and engaging book tells "the story behind the story" of one of the most iconic foods in American culture. I was always interested as a child about how inventions came about, and this book will entertain as well as enlighten kids on a subject that is bound to be of interest to them. ( )