Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa

Starred review from January 15, 2025
A potato hunter's game of hide-and-seek nourishes the world in this quirky biographic tribute. Alberto Salas is on a mission: to discover and document all the potatoes he can "before they're lost for good." The renowned Peruvian agronomist--affectionately portrayed as a rosy-cheeked, wiry-haired, squat man clad in a yellow coat--plays the game of potato paka paka (or hide-and-seek), scouring the Andes to support the development and proliferation of potatoes across the world. Each day the growing effects of climate change make his endeavor more urgent. Blending an affable, often playful tone and a loose yet incredibly informative narrative peppered with words in Spanish and Quechua, Fajardo recounts the potato expert's adventures in all their glory, putting the story into a broader context that makes clear the global issue of widespread hunger. The author homes in on Salas' precise methods and unorthodox solutions, including homemade maps and newspaper pouches to transport plants. Working in paper collage, Martinez-Neal favors dabs of rich colors among broad landscapes of earthy browns and lots of potatoes of different shapes and sizes to bring Salas' potato exploits to life, including his collaboration with Indigenous communities. A robust glossary and backmatter delving further into Salas' work and the diversity of potatoes round out a sublime portrait. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. A remarkable path to starch-dom. (author's and illustrator's notes)(Picture-book biography. 4-8)

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Starred review from January 31, 2025

Gr 2-5-With keen eyes, Alberto Salas searches the Andean landscape, collecting and cataloging varieties of potato. Fajardo's picture book biography capably foregrounds the science of plant collection and identification, specifically within the context of the planet's changing landscape and climate. In both editions, the titular phrase appears alongside additional Quechuan vocabulary, honoring the Indigenous inhabitants of Peru, while accenting the lyrical text with bursts of rhythm ideal for reading aloud: "Qacha, Qacha," "Kallpa, Kallpa." Martinez-Neal's distinctive style is textured by a variety of mediums, including paper collage, pastels, and acrylics, among others. The earth tones are enlivened by the depiction of Salas in yellow attire, a metaphorical beam of light spotlighting the humble papa. Perspective shifts capture peeks of the Peruvian landscape, while close ups allow for a peek at Salas's handiwork using a pickaxe to loosen soil or delicately pressing plant samples onto paper. The English edition includes Spanish throughout, and extensive back matter further illuminates Salas's work, the importance of plant diversity, and notes from the author and illustrator about their connection to the text. VERDICT Thematic connections to environmentalism and sustainability in our changing modern world, told through a Latinx lens, this is a highly recommended title for all nonfiction collections.-Jessica Agudelo

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Starred review from March 1, 2025
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* In a real-life game of "paka paka con la papa," or potato hide-and-seek, Alberto Salas scours the Andes Mountains for new potato species. The Peruvian American author and illustrator duo brings the efforts of this scientist and environmentalist to light. Interspersing words and phrases in Spanish and Quechua, an Indigenous language spoken in the Andean region, Fajardo describes in lyrical and imagery-rich text why and how the potato expert continues his search. Farmers count on potatoes to feed the world, but with rising temperatures resulting in more insects and diseases, potatoes are under threat. So, Alberto looks high and low for potatoes to bring to Peru's International Potato Center genebank ("a living library of potatoes"), where researchers develop new varieties to fight hunger. His quest in this narrative is to find the Papa de Zorro, the most elusive wild potato in the region. Caldecott Honoree Martinez-Neal's soft, loosely rendered mixed-media illustrations on hand-textured papers incorporate Andean culture and geography while creating a gritty, tactile experience as Alberto works through the soil. Earth tones allow the potatoes in varying hues to stand out like the treasures they are. Extensive back matter comprises more information about Alberto, potatoes, and plant diversity, and includes a cultural dictionary. A lovely tribute to an unassuming yet impactful changemaker. Simultaneously publishing in Spanish: Alberto Salas juega a la paka paka con la papa.

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