Potch & Polly

 

Potch & Polly by William Steig
Illustrated by Jon Agee

     I'm a big fan of Jon Agee, in fact I've already included two of my favorite books by him on previous blog entries: The Retired Kid and Milo's Hat Trick.   So I was really excited to find a book by Steig, illustrated by Agee. I was not disappointed.
     "When Potch was born, there was an angel with a clown's face hovering over the bed."  He loved life and "always woke up happy to be who and where he was."  One day, he was invited to a masquerade ball, and that's where he first saw Polly Pumpernickel. He wasn't handsome and she wasn't beautiful, but to Potch, Polly was "a sugar bowl." He immediately realised that the one thing missing from his life was "the same love that makes the world go round and can turn pigs into ponies."  They danced all night, but unfortunately, during a pirouette, Potch tossed Polly up in the air and failed to catch her on her way down.   Polly was furious and left the masquerade leaving Potch behind.  Potch tried to make it up to her and win her affection many times, but something always went terribly wrong (like when he surrounded her house with fireworks, and one of them went into her bedroom).  That is, until the day when Polly goes to put an end to Potch's pestering and she overhears his angel telling him get over her and move on.  Of course, she then realises she wants him in her life and pulls a surprise move of her own.
     I love Potch & Polly.  I'm a sucker for picture books that read like stories meant for adults.  The illustrations by Agee are wonderful.  They have a timeless feeling to them that I've always enjoyed.  It's impossible not to fall in love with Potch and his attempts at conquering Polly's heart.  A sweet and funny love story.