The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues facts for kids
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| Author | Ellen Raskin |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's mystery novel |
| Publisher | E. P. Dutton |
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Publication date
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1975 |
| ISBN | 0-525-40805-3 |
| OCLC | 1093662 |
| LC Class | PZ7.R1817 Tat |
The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues is an exciting children's mystery novel written by Ellen Raskin. It was first published in 1975. This book takes young readers on a thrilling adventure filled with puzzles and secrets, all set in the lively Greenwich Village in New York City. It's a story about art, friendship, and solving tricky cases.
Contents
What's the Story About?
Dickory's New Job
The story begins with a 17-year-old art student named Dickory Dock. She lives in Greenwich Village and is looking for a job. She finds an advertisement for a painter's assistant at a mysterious address: Number 12 Cobble Lane.
Dickory gets the job with a painter named Garson. Her duties are simple at first, like cleaning paintbrushes and answering the door. But soon, she finds herself pulled into Garson's strange and secret life. She also gets to know his interesting neighbors, Manny Mallomar and Shrimps Marinara.
New Friends and Mysteries
As Dickory works for Garson, she meets several unique characters. One is Garson's friend, a man who is deaf and has an intellectual disability. He uses the special name Isaac Bickerstaffe. Dickory also becomes friends with George Washington III, another art student. She even meets Joseph P. Quinn, who is the Chief of Detectives for the NYPD.
Becoming Detectives
Chief Quinn often asks Garson for help because Garson is a talented sketch artist. When this happens, Garson changes his identity! He pretends to be a detective named Inspector Noserag. Can you guess where that name comes from? It's "Garson" spelled almost backward!
Garson also gives Dickory a new detective name: Sergeant Kod. This name is also "Dock" spelled backward. Together, Inspector Noserag and Sergeant Kod team up to solve many different mysteries.
Solving the Cases
The book is divided into six main mystery cases, each with four chapters. These cases include:
- "The Mystery in Number 12 Cobble Lane"
- "The Case of the Horrible Hairdresser"
- "The Case of the Face on the Five-Dollar Bill"
- "The Case of the Full-Sized Midget"
- "The Case of the Disguised Disguise"
- "The Case of the Confusing Corpus"
As Dickory helps solve these cases, she learns more about the people living in and around Number 12 Cobble Lane. She discovers their pasts, their reasons for doing things, and who they really are. It's a journey of uncovering secrets and understanding people's true identities.
About the Author
Ellen Raskin was an American author and illustrator. She was known for her clever and often humorous children's books, especially her mystery novels. The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues is one of her popular works, showcasing her talent for creating engaging plots and memorable characters.
