Tulip was famous in her neighbourhood for two reasons: 1. She was a fearless adventurer. 2. She went everywhere with a seriously strange sidekick – a potato called Doug. Tulip and Doug are inseparable, until catastrophe strikes and Tulip loses her best spuddy buddy. She’s inconsolable, until she makes a new friend. A boy. With a pet rock…called Susan.

It feels like a very long time since I started working on illustrations for this very sweet story about a girl and her faithful potato friend (written by the clever and funny Emma Wood). Finally children’s book Tulip and Doug, published by Scholastic New Zealand, has made its debut on bookshop shelves, both on and offline. Read reviews here, and get a copy at your favourite potato-loving bookstore!

With a tone that’s both bold and tender, Emma Wood’s story will touch the hearts of kids who know what it’s like to love and to lose a special inanimate friend. The perfect picture book for potato lovers everywhere!

HEATHER KINSER