I Am a Potato

If Creature is not a potato, what could they possibly be? Taxonomy has never been so much fun!

’I am a potato’, says a small, furry creature. ’Don’t be ridiculous, ’ says Dog. ’Do you grow underground? Do you have lots of eyes? No? Then you’re not a potato.’ ’Then WHAT AM I?’ wails Creature. Cat comes along. ’Do you breathe air? Do you eat and poo? Do you move around? You are an animal!’ But what kind of animal are they? As their identity crisis continues, more creatures join the conversation, asking questions and narrowing down the options until they eventually work out what the creature is.

This is a silly, delightful book that nonetheless teaches an important lesson about using the scientific method to deduce answers by observing, asking questions and eliminating possibilities. Vividly brought to life in Elliot Kruszynski’s punchy, graphic illustrations, taxonomy has never been this fun.

Ziggy Hanaor is a writer and publisher living in London, UK. She has authored picturebooks including Fly Flies, Alex and Alex and The Pocket Chaotic, as well as the Carnegie-shortlisted graphic novel, Alte Zachen. Elliot Kruszynski is a London-based illustrator who has worked with clients including The New York Times, Air BnB and Deliveroo. He is the author of Professor Wooford McPaw’s History of Astronomy and History of Cars (Cicada, 2022 and 2021) and Special Delivery (Cicada, 2020).