The Mouse and the Potato by Thomas Berger and Carla Grillis

The Mouse and the Potato, which is now out of print, was translated from German by Polly Lawson and was printed in Belgium in 1990 by Floris Books. This is a book about a potato, obviously and it makes for an unusual protagonist. It starts out with a little girl called Maggie deciding to plant a rather large potato with the mindset that is will produce more potatoes.  A plant appears and it grows prolifically, the problem is, when it comes to harvest time the gigantic plant won't budge. Maggie's father, a farmer, tries to uproot the plant, is shortly joined by his wife, then a farmhand, a milking maid and then Maggie; all to no avail. Then it's time for canine, felines and rodents to partake in the what is now proving to be a very challenging harvest. Well, I wonder  what could possibly happen? The farm horse even ends up with a job. A straightforward little plot with gentle water colour illustrations by Belgium illustrator Carla Grillis.   It is certainly a beautiful addition to my children book collection.

The harvest

Maggie

The Dutch version

The German version

Daddy Lost His Head by Quentin Blake & Andre Bouchard

Loved this book, Daddy Lost His Head, before I even read the first page. What kid wouldn't pluck this one right off the shelf?  I found the book very amusing.  If your Dad lost his head you would fashion him a new one of course. Newspaper, paint and a potato for a nose and voilà...there it is a new functioning head with many advantages. You see, he doesn't snore or shout, he readily agrees with you and is quite happy to do the vacuuming. Even better, take him shopping and he will buy anything you ask for. But...will Daddy ever find his real head and just how did he lose it in the first place? This is certainly a very absurd story but also very inventive and funny.

The Little Cat and the Greedy Old Woman by Joan Rankin

The story revolves around a little cat who one day is unceremoniously shooed out into the pouring rain after he attempts to gain a taste of a special roast dinner the "greedy old woman" has prepared. The anger which grows inside him causes him to grow into a great jungle tiger tyrant and he reenters the house hell-bent on revenge. The moggy is a lovable villain and the  muted softer watercolours used for the house and the old woman are contrasted with the vibrant oranges and browns used for the terrifying tiger cat. An amusing read.

Dragon by Wayne Anderson

If you love dragons then surely this is a book you will enjoy. One day, a mother dragon accidentally drops an egg from the sky into the ocean. When the newborn emerges, he spends  many months trying to find his place amongst animals such as fish, insects, birds, snakes and even a crocodile.  He is desperate to find his mother and despairing after his many encounters with other creatures...until he finds a special young boy who happily lends a helping hand. This is a warm and reassuring story about a magical creature's search for his identity and his home.Wayne Anderson is a respected English author/artist who has received the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal for best children's book, as well as many other accolades. The misty, mysterious illustrations greatly enhance the story and make it something  very special.

Another Custard Pie by Roger McGough & Graham Percy

Another Custard Pie by Roger Mc Gough and published in 1993, is written in rhyming couplets and tells the story about a boy who dreams of running away to join the circus and awakes to find that the circus chaos has come to his house instead. The living room houses the big top, a baby elephant is playing the piano and his little sister is checking out the inside of a tiger's mouth. 

There is a lion in the wardrobe

And it's trying on my clothes.

There is a seal in the bath

With a potty on it's nose.

About ever kind of circus act is given some kind of reference or recognition, including a bear on a pogo stick and a kangaroo and a camel playing "Catch-the -Ball."

In the end the boy has had enough and changed his mind completely.

The Stolen Mealies Lesley Whitwell and Mario Sickle

The Stolen Mealies  is an African folk-tale retold by Lesley Whitwell and illustrated by Mario Sickle. This book was published in 1989 in Cape Town and tells the tale of Squirrel who works hard to grow mealies (corn). Unfortunately his field is discovered by an unscrupulous hare who deviously manipulates others into believing he is the owner of the new harvest. However, justice prevails. This a great book to teach the values of honesty and integrity to students. The double page colourful linocut illustrations by Mario Sickle are both detailed and exquisite. It is one of the most beautifully illustrated book in my children' collection. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for his other books The New Fire, The Hare's Rope, Sangura's Tug of War and Love David.

A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer and P.D.Eastman

A Fish Out of Water was one of my favourite books as a  child and this  edition was published in 1963. How excited was I when I found this today?  A little boy buys a fish he calls Otto from Mr Carp and is promptly given the instruction:"Never feed him a lot. Never more than a spot! Or something may happen. You never know what." Yet straight away after landing home, the lad is being more than generous with the feeds. The rhyme drives the story along as Otto quickly outgrows one watery habitat after another. Pretty soon the local policeman is involved and then the fire brigade, and eventually Mr Carp makes a return appearance to make for a very satisfying ending to the story.