As with several books I was not going to read, Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru’s Famed Scientist and Potato Expert by Sara Andrea Fajardo and Juana Martinez-Neal (illustrator) was one of them, but it eventually found its way to my TBR pile as it was on a Best of 2025 Picture Book list. This was the final sign that told me I probably should read it. I was still nervous as when a book gets that hyped (Best of) I immediately go into, “It can’t be that good! I mean pushing it that hard means something is off.”
The only things that were really off was the fact that I waited so long to read it and that I was not completely the reader for the illustrations. I will start with the illustrations. First, I liked the colors. They are watercoloring like images (if not watercolors, I didn’t confirm this) that are “melting” and keep with the poetic nature of the text. But some of the details were just “off” for me. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but hair in illustrations can really creep me out (especially on legs, beards or underarms). Yet even though none of that was present, the hair on the head of the Alberto Salas character was off putting. It was just not “doing it” for me. Other than that, I really liked things. It was clever, busy but not distracting, just makes you take your time and look. It makes a dreamy quality to a serious and potentially dry subject.
Which is potatoes. Now, I love potatoes in almost every form they come in. But we can take them for granted and don’t always know the story behind them. This book does not do a biographical telling of Salas, but shows how he searches for the “perfect spud.” Mixing factual information and whimsy, Fajardo comes away with a poetic (even personal) story of how one man helped feed the world with talents he learned as a child. This seemingly ordinary person should be more well known as he does something unordinary for sure 
As it is currently out, it might surprise you that I read via an online reader, but I think I might find a copy or two to give as gifts to my local library. I would say it could work for all ages, but best for the aged 5 and up crowd. The extras allow this to go up to third or even fourth grade levels, but the picture book format might turn them off. Still, as an adult I liked the glossary, potato and Salas information.