Sam the Man & the Rutabaga Plan

January 15, 2017
Sam is saddled with a rutabaga as his vegetable for the next two weeks in second-grade science.Sam doesn't like any kind of vegetable, but once he sees his rutabaga--"the size of a softball"; "round, but not perfectly round"; half purple and half "dirty yellow"; and with "a weird brown thing sticking out of the top like a little tree stump"--he is sure he's got the worst. How is he supposed to write a letter from the rutabaga's perspective? Drawing a smiley face on it helps, as does naming it. All of a sudden Sam becomes deeply protective of Rudy. How can he make Rudy happy? Well, as his elderly friend and walking companion, Mr. Stockfish, tells him, rutabagas grow underground, so Rudy must want some nice dirt. Thus is born Sam's plan to collect neighbors' food scraps and make a compost pile in Mrs. Kerner's backyard, where he boards his chicken, Helga. While this outing is not as obviously purposive as series opener Sam the Man & the Chicken Plan (2016), it is equally appealing. Sam's simultaneous awareness that Rudy is not alive and deepening investment in Rudy's well-being are developmentally spot-on. Dowell's characterizations are deft, accomplished in small but telling details. Sam is white, as is Mrs. Kerner, and Mr. Stockfish is black; the romance developing between the latter two is a quiet delight. Readers will be happy to spend time with Sam the Man. (Fiction. 6-9)

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January 1, 2017

Gr 1-3-Sam's second grade class is studying vegetables. On the day each student is given a veggie, Sam is absent and ends up with the lowly root that no one else wanted-the rutabaga. At first Sam is uncertain about spending time with this seemingly bland and uninteresting globe. However, as the class delves into the science of agriculture, Sam starts to bond with his tuber. In fact, he adds a face with a permanent marker and names his new friend Rudy. Sadly, as time goes on, Sam notices that some of the other students' produce has begun to wilt. He begins to understand that Rudy will not last forever. So the lad comes up with a plan. With the help of kindly neighbors, his chickens, and his compost, Sam is determined to find a way to keep Rudy around as long as possible. This tale of a young boy using his wits and determination to help a friend, who just happens to be a rutabaga, is both instructive and inspirational. VERDICT With witty dialogue and pleasing illustrations, this second installment will engage younger elementary school readers.-Mary Jennings, Camano Island Library, WA

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