In today’s Perfect Picture Book, I invite readers to travel to South America and embark on a quest to find a favorite food. Enjoy!
Title: Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru’s Famed Scientist and Potato Expert
Written By: Sara Andrea Fajardo
Illustrated By: Juana Martinez-Neal
Publisher/Date: Roaring Brook Press/2025
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: potatoes, environment, botany, hide-and-seek, Peru, South America, food security, climate change, Andes Mountains, Spanish, Quechua, plant diversity
Opening:
In the Andes Mountains, where papas grow in thousands of shapes and colors, Alberto Salas is on a quest for the potatoes of the Americas.
Brief Synopsis: The story of Alberto Salas, a plant collector working to find and preserve the many varieties of potatoes that grow in the Andes Mountains.
Links to Resources:
· Check out the fascinating back matter including a cultural dictionary, more about Alberto Salas, more about potatoes, an Author’s Note and an Illustrator’s Note;
· Learn more about Peru, the setting of this story;
· Check out the Activity Guide for discussion questions, a memory game, and more.
Why I Like this Book:
A picture book about hunting for potatoes? Not a topic you’d think of as food for littles. But Fajardo frames the quest as a game, a game of hide-and-seek to find potato plants. She explains why the stakes are so high, the importance of potatoes in our diets and the effects of climate change and urbanization on the plants. And she uses fun language in English, Spanish, and Quechua. The result? A masterful picture book perfect to read to little ones and to use in schools.
Combined with Martinez-Neal’s soft hued but detailed illustrations and the wealth of information in the back matter, Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa is a treasure waiting to be read, and reread.
A Note about Craft:
Both Fajardo and Martinez-Neal were born in Peru and clearly are familiar with the landscape, languages, and customs of the country. In addition, Fajardo worked for the International Potato Center as a photojournalist – clearly she knows potatoes. I love how these women brought their expertise to bear on this story, an important reminder that climate change and increased urbanization are threats to crops that are vital to our well-being. I also love how Fajardo includes reminders of Alberto’s childhood in the story, the bulk of which occurs when he is an adult.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 