"My Irish grandfather, Thomas Lawrence Downey, was a great storyteller. I loved his rendition of The Animal Fair and his explanation of why he was bald (that will remain a personal secret). I never tired of sitting on his knee - and later, when I was a bit too big, sitting at his feet with one of my baby sisters on his knee - listening to his wonderful tall tales.

Among the stories I loved the best were the ones about the Irish - and the Downey family in particular. In those tales, I'm afraid, 'dramatic flair' and artistic liberties took over for fact. But as any good storyteller knows, to embellish is to make the tale interesting, especially to a young Tomie.

When I read the short tale that inspired Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato, I swear I could hear my grandfather Tom Downey whispering in my ear, 'Jamie O'Rourke was the laziest man....' Now I hope that the next generation, sitting on someone's knees or at someone's feet, will hear the words just as I did." (Tomie dePaola)

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Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato: An Irish Folktale

Tomie dePaola (Author), Jennifer Van Dyck (Narrator), Listening Library (Publisher)

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Product details

Listening Length	8 minutes
Author	Tomie dePaola
Narrator	Jennifer Van Dyck
Audible.com Release Date	February 06, 2018
Publisher	Listening Library
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B078SCBVWS
Best Sellers Rank	#213,976 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #1,082 in Historical Fiction for Children #1,697 in Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths for Children #2,125 in Humorous Fiction for Children

Customer reviews

5 star		76%
4 star		12%
3 star		5%
2 star		2%
1 star		6%

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CoolStuff8374

Just a fun story - definitely does not/not teach the "good" lesson you would expect!

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2018

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This is a cute story, but the ending and moral are not what you would expect at all. Instead of an ending that teaches what happens if you're lazy, in fact, things turn out well and the reader essentially "hears" that the wife shouldn't have doubted her lazy husband. So, you end up having a discussion about what USUALLY happens when you're lazy (things don't turn out well) and then discussing that sometimes you can make assumptions that aren't right. It's really just a fun story, but I think because the ending doesn't teach the "right" lesson, it does offer some opportunity to have discussions on a number of issues that make everyone think. The husband's success in this story was just plain luck - for several reasons, the story should have ended badly for him...

8 people found this helpful

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Owl

A plentitude of potato and humor here!

Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2015

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Pure magic, the watercolor drawings of this book for 2 to 5 year-olds, bringing to life 22 new friends--24 if I include the giant potato and the leprechaun. Set in an Irish-like countryside of about 200 years ago, Tomie dePaola retells an old story that appears in many cultures.

Jamie doesn't like to work; his wife Eileen does what's needed for them to eat. When her back goes out, Jamie fears he'll die from lack of food, so off he goes to get ready for the sad event. On his way to the village, he finds a fairies' shoemaker (the leprechaun) who outsmarts his captor by giving him a seed for the biggest potato on the world, rather than his treasured gold. The blessing becomes first a bane (can't get that veggie out of the ground), then a blessing (the curious villagers help), then a bane (ooops! it blocked the road), then a blessing thanks to quick-witted and kind Eileen (every one can have all they want), then a bane (the villagers eat and eat and eat and eat until they never want to see a potato again), and then a blessing as they offer food for life if Eileen and Jamie plant no more giant potatoes...the big pratie for sure.

The story has a fine lilt of words and as I mentioned, the drawings are wholly charming in DePaola's much-loved style. Is there anything more though to reading children this story?

To me, this is a classic tale of the apparently not-too-bright person--a schlemiel, a trickster, a lazy person---who by a "fortunate misfortune" and a certain talent for keeping on, brings fortune to her/himself and the community. I particularly like that the heroine is the hard-working, cheerful, and very bright Eileen who invites everyone to take all the potato they want, and how the community eventually pitches in to deal with the situations. The children with whom I have read this giggled at the turns of the story and loved the gay illustrations and the rhythm of the tale.

Recommended with delighted enthusiasm for the humor, imagination, and good things to be shared here. It seems to me an opportunity for readers, if they chose, to add some history.

12 people found this helpful

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Maryann Goetsch

While I like the fact that it’s a boardbook and easy for ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2018

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The story doesn’t make any sense. While I like the fact that it’s a boardbook and easy for my toddler to turn the pages the story itself is odd. We bought to start to teach our daughter about Ireland and st Patrick’s day and the story starts off ok but ends strangely.

4 people found this helpful

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Neal lewandowski

What is not to like?! 🙂

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2019

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If you are seeking a good children's book, here's a beaut'. It covers most good books- storyline, mystery, eclectic reasoning, intrigue, unusual solutions, and most of all +spoiler alert+ - potatoes! What is missing, I ask you?!

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Jessica

Board book shortened story

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2020

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Board book is NOT the full story. It makes for a confusing and flat tale, very disappointed.

One person found this helpful

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Davis

Great Fun

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2019

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This is a unique tale that became an instant classic and is much requested in our home. I greatly value that Mr. dePaola's tales include the cultural backdrop of Catholicism which is ever so foundational to Europe, whether one recognizes it or not.

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Happy Granny

Big Potato was a Big Hit!

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2014

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Bought this as a birthday/St. Patrick's Day gift for our five-year-old granddaughter. She appreciated the humor of lazy Jaimie as much as she did disobedience of Big Anthony in STREGA NONA. She first fell in love with Tomie dePaola's MY FIRST HALLOWEEN, and since then has acquired quite a collection of his holiday books for Christmas and Easter. His art is appealing to both young and old and comes in a variety of formats from paperback to board books and even popups.

One person found this helpful

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julie lowry

Great art

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2020

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Story is cute, but the art makes it so much more interesting. We love Tomie's art!

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Top international reviews

Jessi E

Perfect lil book !

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2019

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I just adore this author and happy the story came in board book format.

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S H

An amusing tale

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2017

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I had been looking for a book like this to bring home from Ireland for my grandson. I came home and found exactly what I wanted on Amazon. A simple but amusing story, well illustrated.

One person found this helpful

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mrs patricia wilkinson

great

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2018

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Bought as a chrismas gift

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Lovely book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2019

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Great story, written in a lively fashion

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Amazon Customer

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2016

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Enjoyable story

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