Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru's Famed Scientist and Potato Expert

Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka Con La Papa focuses on the work of Alberto and his work in finding rare potatoes in the wild. Through his lifelong work, many species of potato have been found and sent to scientists to research and save in the International Potato Center genebank. Through their work, potatoes are being made more pest-resistant or able to survive harsher temperatures and rain fluctuations, all to ensure people have food as we experience more climate change.
This is a unique job that most people have never heard of or thought of. The author presents it as a game of hide and seek, and Alberto is very good at winning the game. It is rich in culture, subtly woven into the story as Alberto speaks Quechua with the native people and mixes Spanish into the text. The illustrator has earthy tones and many squiggles and whirls in brown to give a natural and dirt texture to the story.
Overall, this story shows the playful aspects of this important work, which can inspire readers that the play of today may give them the skills they need for a job in the future. It highlights a little-known job and underscores the need to preserve and understand nature before it gets plowed in the name of human progress.