In Total Admiration with Sara Andrea Fajardo

Sara Andrea Fajardo, author of Crack Goes the Cascarón: An Eggcellent Not-Just-for-Easter Shellebration! (Knopf Books for Young Readers) and Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru's Famed Scientist and Potato Expert (Roaring Brook Press), joins Matthew to talk about bringing out a little bit of mischief.

Listen along:

About the book: Crack Goes the Cascarón: An Eggcellent Not-Just-for-Easter Shellebration! by Sara Andrea Fajardo; illustrated by Rocío Arreola Mendoza. Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Shell-abrate a joyous Latine tradition, with Toti and his family in this upbeat bilingual story, hatched in time for Easter.

What are cascarones: Cascarones are empty egg shells that have been colored, filled with paper confetti, and sealed!

The hunt is on to figure out who will be the reigning champ of Cascarones, and Toti knows that he has his family beat. His parents are too easy, they make old-school cascarones with confetti inside. His sister, Carlita wishes she could create cascarones like him, and his Abuela doesn't even stand a chance. When the day of Cascarones arrives, will Toti seize his moment or will it be scrambled when he learns someone has switched his cascarones for fake ones!

With a cheeky twist at the end, readers will laugh and relish at the antics of Toti and his family in this exuberant bilingual story.

About the book: Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru's Famed Scientist and Potato Expert by Sara Andrea Fajardo; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. Published by Roaring Brook Press.

What can a potato do? To Peruvian scientist Alberto Salas, they have the power to change the world. Go on the hunt with Alberto for for wild potatoes before they go extinct in this playful picture book biography, gorgeously illustrated by Caldecott-honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.

High up in the Andes mountains of Peru, agricultural scientist Alberto Salas is on a quest. A quest... for potatoes.

Up and down the Andes mountains he goes, playing an epic game of paka paka con la papa, potato hide and seek. These potatoes are special: they have the power to feed the world.

Alberto doesn't have a second to waste. The climate is changing and Alberto must find each and every one to save them before they go extinct.

The game is on!

Alberto races and peers and prods. Drives and trods and climbs. Will he find the potato he seeks? Will he win the game of paka paka con la papa?

Author Sara Andrea Fajardo’s spirited biography about “the godfather of potatoes” is paired with lush art by Caldecott-honoree Juana Martinez-Neal to capture how celebrated scientist Alberto Salas brings joy, curiosity, and fun to his very important, life-changing work.

Transcript:

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