The Couch Potato

November 1, 2020
Can a couch potato peel themself off their beloved, comfortable couch? John and Oswald's titular spud certainly finds it very hard to do so. Why should they leave their "comfy, cozy couch" when everything that's needed is within reach? Their doodads and gadgets to amuse and entertain, their couch's extendable gloved hands to grab food from the kitchen, and screens upon screens to watch their favorite TV shows (highlights: MadYam, Fries), play their favorite video games, and livestream their friends. Where's the need to leave the living room? Then..."PEW-WWWWWWW"! The electricity goes out one day. Left without screens and gizmos, the couch potato decides to take dog Tater "for a walk...outside," where the trees and birds and skies seem rich, "like a high-resolution 156-inch curved screen, but even more realistic." The outdoor experience proves cathartic and freeing, away from those cords that bind, liberating enough to commit this couch potato to spending more time off the couch. Similar to The Bad Seed (2017), The Good Egg (2019), and The Cool Bean (2019) in small-scale scope and moral learning, this latest guidebook to life retains John's attention to textual goodness, balancing good-humored laughs with a sincere conversational tone that immediately pulls readers in. Naturally, Oswald's succinct artwork--loaded with genial spuds, metatextual nods, and cool aloofness--continues this loose series' winsome spirit. No counterarguments here, couch potatoes. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 65.9% of actual size.) Looking for a spud-tacular read? Starch here. (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2020
Preschool-Grade 2 A self-satisfied spud, Couch Potato spends any free time slouching on an upscale couch (equipped with robotic arms that supply snacks) and facing a wall of screens offering multiple electronic entertainment options. One day, when the electricity fails and the house suddenly goes dark, the potato ventures outdoors. Surprised by the sun's brightness, Couch Potato likens the real world to "a high-resolution 156-inch curved screen, but even more realistic." The chirping sound isn't a ringtone; actual birds are nearby! Soon the formerly sedentary potato is hiking, biking, playing board games, and hanging out with friends. Upon reflection, Couch Potato decides to live his life "in person." Written with a light touch, the story is amusing and appealing, while the lively, increasingly colorful illustrations portray the settings and the main character with expression. From the writer and illustrator of The Bad Seed (2017), The Good Egg (2019), and The Cool Bean (2019), this picture book certainly has a point to make, but it does so with disarming wit and abundant charm.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2020

K-Gr 3-The term couch potato was coined in 1979 to describe kids who spent more time on the couch than outside playing. John's book toys with that concept in this exaggerated story of an anthropomorphic potato who pridefully shows the reader every device it owns. Each of them is designed to make sure Couch Potato never gets off the couch. When one last device is delivered and is plugged in, the lights go out. Couch Potato opens the curtains and notices what they haven't seen in ages: the outdoors! With nothing else to do, Couch Potato ventures outside and finds there is plenty to do. The COVID-19 pandemic has kept children in isolation indoors and developing couch potato tendencies through no fault of their own; this tale is timely and helps make the point that a balance of technology and old-school fun might be the way to go. The cartoonish art serves the story well, reaching for every last pun and bit of wordplay. VERDICT A goofy story about the dangers of too much of one thing, and a lighthearted lesson for all.-Joan Kindig, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
The reliable duo behind the nondidactic (and puntastic) behavior-themed picture books The Bad Seed; The Good Egg (rev. 1/19); and The Cool Bean (rev. 3/20) tackle the topic of excessive screen time. Our couch-potato protagonist (a cheery, bright-eyed cartoon potato) has a favorite spot: the sofa. From there, it can see "a sea of shimmering screens, from wall to shining wall. What joy! What bliss!" As a TV-watcher, an online gamer, and a live-streamer, all of its social interactions are virtual. (The line "It's much easier than trying to meet up somewhere, like folks did in the olden days" has a particular resonance right now.) While plugging in its newest device -- "a video camera that would allow me to watch myself react while I was watching all my favorite shows" -- our hero blows a fuse. This leads to some much-needed fresh air, face-to-face interaction, and outdoor adventure besting anything with pixels. Text and illustrations ("scanned watercolor textures and digital paint") are packed with humor, from the potato's guileless expressions to its favorite shows ("M*A*S*H*E*D Potatoes") and ingenious inventions (self-pouring milk and cereal) to its pals, a.k.a. "best spuddies." By the end, the tater still loves electronic devices and couch-sitting, but its horizons have been expanded to the great outdoors, and to analog reading: Catcher in the Fry.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2021
The reliable duo behind the nondidactic (and puntastic) behavior-themed picture books The Bad Seed; The Good Egg (rev. 1/19); and The Cool Bean (rev. 3/20) tackle the topic of excessive screen time. Our couch-potato protagonist (a cheery, bright-eyed cartoon potato) has a favorite spot: the sofa. From there, it can see "a sea of shimmering screens, from wall to shining wall. What joy! What bliss!" As a TV-watcher, an online gamer, and a live-streamer, all of its social interactions are virtual. (The line "It's much easier than trying to meet up somewhere, like folks did in the olden days" has a particular resonance right now.) While plugging in its newest device -- "a video camera that would allow me to watch myself react while I was watching all my favorite shows" -- our hero blows a fuse. This leads to some much-needed fresh air, face-to-face interaction, and outdoor adventure besting anything with pixels. Text and illustrations ("scanned watercolor textures and digital paint") are packed with humor, from the potato's guileless expressions to its favorite shows ("M*A*S*H*E*D Potatoes") and ingenious inventions (self-pouring milk and cereal) to its pals, a.k.a. "best spuddies." By the end, the tater still loves electronic devices and couch-sitting, but its horizons have been expanded to the great outdoors, and to analog reading: Catcher in the Fry. Elissa Gershowitz

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)