No Small Potatoes: Junius G. Groves and His Kingdom in Kansas

Title: No Small Potatoes: Junius G. Groves and His Kingdom in Kansas

Author: Tonya Bolden

Illustrations: Don Tate

Picture Book

Potatoes! What a lovely topic! This book highlights the life of Junius G. Groves. Mr. Groves was born into slavery, but was given his freedom at the end of the Civil War. He grew up free, but terribly impoverished. When he was twenty, he left Kentucky and walked over 500 miles to Kansas. After working hard, he eventually bought his own land and started a potato farm. This book emphasizes how hard Mr. Groves worked. It encourages and inspires reader to work equally hard to accomplish their goals. The story line is fabulous and the illustrations are awesome! However, the sentence structure and odd wording make it difficult to read out loud. Also, it is a really long read aloud book, so my students identified with the main character, but lost interest in the last few pages.