Spuds by Karen Hesse

I really enjoyed this particular picture book because it is so much different than any children's book I have ever read. The story is extremely unique and original: it is about a family in poverty and without enough food. I'm positive that this is only one of a few picture books I have ever read where the main characters face such struggles. Specifically, the mother character is much different than most picture books. In Spuds the mother is a single mom who works the night shift, and simply can't properly provide for her three children. Usually, picture books are extremely idealistic and stereotypical, but Spuds is quite the opposite. The dialogue of the characters is written and spoken in a sort of slang that helps convey the particular situation the family is in. For example, in one part of the book the narrator says "Me and Maybelle, we layered on a heap a' clothes." The story is sincere and touching, and there is a part of the book where the three children decided to to steal potatoes from a farm because they don't have enough to eat. They even refer to themselves as "tater-snatchers." To complement the dark narrative, the illustrations are very simple and refined, and made up of mostly earth tones. Overall I thought the story was quite sad, but I would definetely recommend the book to any reader due to the fact that it is such a different type of story and certainly worth reading.