Molly and Potato by Dr. Kelly Curtin (Author), Molly Hallinan (Author), and Aabshar Khan (Illustrator)
This review first appeared on Reader Views. Read the Reader Views version here.
Molly loves her family, but she yearns for a dog. That dream then goes on the back burner when Molly’s mom gets cancer. But after her mom’s recovery, Molly’s mom brings her to a shelter, and they adopt an adorable dog named Potato. Together, Molly and Potato form a special bond, but Molly wonders if being so happy about having Potato means she’s also happy that her mom had gotten sick.
On the flip side of the book is the same story, but from Potato’s point of view. Potato is born to a litter of puppies. His siblings get adopted, but he ends up at a shelter with broken teeth—and no one wants to adopt a dog with broken teeth. Although Potato makes friends, he longs to be adopted. One day, he meets Molly and her family and is brought home. While he’s elated to have his family, he wonders if this means he’s happy for broken teeth and terrible illnesses. Together, can Molly and Potato learn that it’s okay to be both happy and sad? Rounding out this sweet picture book are two lists: one of resources for kids and families facing cancer and loss, and another for adopting pets.
Molly and Potato is a sweet, heartstring-tugging, and wholesome picture book for ages six and up. It’s immediately easy to want both Molly and Potato to find happiness, even though they have experienced such sadness. But what comes out of the book is an important lesson: life is complex, and so are emotions. It is possible to be both happy and sad, to mourn the rain, but to love the rainbow. Additionally, Molly and Potato emphasizes how pet adoption is not only rewarding for the pet adopted, but for the adoptive family.
Perhaps because I have a rescue pup myself, I found the portion of Molly and Potato told from Potato’s point of view particularly emotional. This just goes to show how evocative and well-told the writing of coauthors Dr. Kelly Curtin and Molly Hallinan truly is. Plus, they really lived the story, adding authenticity to it.
I would be remiss not to mention illustrator Aabshar Khan’s work. There is something new-age Disney-esque about Khan’s style (although I don’t mean to suggest Khan is a copycat). The large eyes and round faces are not only very cute, but will remind readers of some of their favorite movies, which I see as a big plus.
Curtin and Hallinan’s Molly and Potato is a sweet story for early readers about facing storms, but finding a silver lining—and learning it’s okay to appreciate that glint of silver.
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