The Tattooed Potato

Title: The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues

Author: Ellen Raskin

Publication date: 1975

Book's setting: The 1970's

Random facts: Although it's by no means autobiographical, Ellen did live in Greenwich Village while a young artist like Dickory in this novel.

Plot summary: Smaller than The Westing Game and less philosophical than Figgs and Phantoms, The Tattooed Potato still weaves a series of witty and waggish mysteries. It is definitely Ellen's easiest book to understand but that doesn't mean it ever gets dull. Dickory is an art school student living in Greenwich Village with her brother and sister-in-law. She answers a newspaper ads to be an artists assistant and finds herself in over her head with Garson, a bi-polar painter who works as a sketch artist for the NYPD. She assists Garson in solving several cases with the police force but there is a larger mystery looming over Garson and Number 12 Cobble Lane. Can Dickory manage to solve it and save Garson and Issac with the help of George Washington III?

Favorite aspects: Typical of Ellen, The Tattooed Potato covers much deeper ground then one would expect from a book shelved in the children's section. Suicide attempts and murders, blind beggars and blackmail. The wordplay in this book was off the walls, much like in The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon. Ellen uses nursery rhymes, intentionally misspelled words, acronyms, and riddles to weave her mystery in Number 12 Cobble Lane. It almost felt like a season a television show or something- the novel is cut up into several smaller "case files" yet each one brings you closer to solving the big mystery. In the end all the cases manage to fit their way into the bigger picture. It was well written, carefully plotted, clever, and amusing. Scary too, of course, but I'd expect nothing less from her.

Least favorite aspects: The only serious fault I could find with this novel was that her action was extremely hard to follow. I kept having to go back and figure out where exactly everyone was at that moment in time. Then again it was incredibly complicated and I'd imagine writing a mystery is never easy. Trying to balance wit and clues with fast paced action without giving too much away too early- I could never do it. The good news is the book made sense. The bad news is you might have to reread a few sections of it before it actually makes sense.

Other works it reminded me of: Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett; From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg.

Sadie's merciless break-down: Most of the time I refer to authors by their full names or their last names. I only call authors by their first names if I feel like I have a personal relationship with them. (Edith, Neil, Hilary, Gordon... to name a few.) Ellen is one of those authors. She is like, the only Ellen in the world to me. So please excuse me for calling her such. (Actually I can't think of any other authors named Ellen off the top of my head.)
Anyway, she's been a god among authors to me for years. The Westing Game has been a favorite of mine for ages. The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) could very well still be the oddest book I've ever read. One day I might just understand Figgs & Phantoms. You see, Ellen writes real mysteries for kids. Well planned, actually mysterious, legitimately creepy mysterious that never have sell-out endings like so many other mysteries do. (Looking at you Balliett. Don't think we haven't noticed.) The fact she only wrote four novels is something that will bother me for the rest of my life.

Recommendation rate: If you are a fan of other books by Ellen then you should read it. Even if you've never read her other works The Tattooed Potato would be a good way to ease into her bizarreness.