Zachary and the Great Potato Catastrophe

About Zachary and the Great Potato Catastrophe:

Winner 2021 STORY MONSTERS APPROVED

Multi-award-winning author pens a playful rhyming story about a shrewd treat-loving rat.

Zachary is a little gourmand rat who cleverly chose his home under the floorboards of a bakery. At night when the bakery was closed, he’d select a single pastry to delight in. He knew that taking more would raise suspicion. After he’d make his way back under the floorboards with his tasty treat, his chums would beg for a nibble, but not one morsel would Zachary give up.

One night Zachary saw a different type of delicious delectable: potatoes, filling up a big sack. When Zachary takes more and more each night, he still doesn’t share with his rat friends who nevertheless are kind enough to give him a warning about hoarding so many potatoes. It’s not long before the epicurean Zachary learns the hard way that greed can be risky indeed.

On the floor above him was a commotion so loud.
“Where are my potatoes?” cried the baker to his crowd.

Vibrant, gem-hued and detailed illustrations are a feast for young readers to pore over and bring to life this playful rhyming story with a gentle moral by author Junia Wonders. Some of Wonders’ award-winning picture books include I Love You Through Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall; Have You Ever Wondered What You Will Be?; and The Night the Monsters Came.

Praise for Zachary and the Great Potato Catastrophe:

“A clever rat named Zachary lives a quiet life under the floorboards of a bakery — until a new delivery causes unexpected trouble! A charming rhyming tale of friendship and sharing.” –BookBub

“Written in rhyme and sprinkled liberally with humour, Zachary and the Great Potato Catastrophe is a charming and quirky tale that’s great for reading aloud. Guilia Lombardo’s original illustrations really bring the characters to life, both human and animal. I particularly like one of Zachary’s twisty-whiskered pals! And there’s a delightful ending that shows that life is indeed sweeter when you share your good fortune with your chums.” –Nick Jones, Author, Full Media Ltd.

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Author Bio:

Junia Wonders is the author of the seasonal bestseller The Roll-Away Pumpkin, which has been translated into six languages.

Five of her picture books, namely, The Roll-Away Pumpkin, Zachary and the Great Potato Catastrophe, The Night the Monsters Came, Have You Ever Wondered What You Will Be?, and I Love You Through Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall received 68 literary awards altogether in 2021 and 2022, including two prestigious Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, two Nautilus Book Awards, and an IPPY Award.

Junia has a fondness for tales filled with wonder and whimsy. Her stories aim to entertain, uplift, and inspire.

When she’s not concocting a tale, you might catch her whispering to dragonflies, chasing rolling pumpkins, traveling the world with a giant wheel of cheese, or simply having a cup of tea and cake with a clever little rat, a lonely pony, some school kids, and a bunch of retired neighbors.

She lives in a home filled with books, spices, music, and magic. Not the potion-making kind. For her, magic is what happens when you truly believe in yourself.