The Couch Potato

July 1, 2019
It’s not clear what an actual potato is doing on the Russet family’s living room sofa, but that’s all it takes to send Mr. Russet, who is responsible for the housekeeping, over the edge. Fed up with tidying, he resolves that “he was not going to pick up that potato, and he was not going to pick up anything else either!” Unfortunately, the rest of the family does not rise to the occasion: Violet dresses the potato in a tiny pink tutu and a too-big baseball cap, and Mrs. Russet eventually cedes “a whole cushion” to it, squishing together with the kids at the sofa’s other end. With Mr. Russet self-sequestered in “potato-free rooms,” domestic hygiene soon teeters at the tipping point. Will no one rid the household of this troublesome tuber? The colored pencil, gouache, and watercolor images have a naïf look of on-the-spot sketches, and they’re a fine match for the deadpan narration. Sparrow (Sleep, Sheep!) and debuting Huang cleverly and inventively reaffirm a universal family truth: never underestimate how a little annoyance can quickly escalate into a laughably big deal. Ages 3–7. Illustrator’s agent: Sean McCarthy, Sean McCarthy Literary Agency.

July 1, 2019
Stay-at-home dad Mr. Russet is displeased by the appearance of a literal couch potato in his home, not to mention his family's response to it. After seeing his children off to school and his wife to work, the apron-clad, fussy Mr. Russet discovers a potato on the living room couch. Annoyed at whomever left it there, amid other untidiness, he decides to leave it be. But when his family returns, their lack of conscientiousness appalls him. Son Reid pretends it's a boulder before forgetting about it; Mrs. Russet thinks it's a ball and tosses it to the dog; daughter Violet dresses it up as though it were a doll; all three ignore it as they crowd onto the couch to watch TV. During his "potato protest," Mr. Russet lets the house go into totally disarray and also neglects his own self-care. When he finally snaps, nine days later, and cleans up, Mr. Russet serves his family a big dinner, including a plate of French fries. His family is dismayed, but precisely why is unclear since they seemed more oblivious to the potato than affectionate. Mr. Russet, however, eats the fries with relish--and not the kind made of pickles. Huang's illustrations, done in colored pencils, gouache, and watercolor, have a flat-planed, childlike look that displays the increasing clutter in amusing detail. The family presents white. Salty but not wholly satisfying. (Picture book. 4-7)

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