One Potato, Two Potato: The Folklore of American Children

I loved this book when I read it as a child- My mother had checked it out of the library. It's a fascinating look into the world of children -Jump rope songs, rhymes, jokes, and general playground mischief. There were plenty of things that were familiar, and many more that were not. But it is far from innocent stuff- definitely not PC. There are copious examples of sexist language and uses of the N word. These are presented with clinical detachment. Definitely not for the easily offended.It's a fascinating glimpse into the world of children that we as adults experienced but somehow forgot. I think it's important to document this stuff( but not necessarily pass this on to future generations) and I wish their research had captured more attention like the studies of urban legends did. This book needs a new edition.

Awesome , just what I was looking for ! Great condition

One Potato, Two Potato was written in 1977 and is somewhat dated, but it remains one of the few books studying what American children do (or did) in their play time. The very idea of a "folk game," where older children teach younger children the rules, etiquette, and oral histories has gone by the wayside because of organized play time and sports. These folk games don't just vary by state or region, but they can have huge differences by neighborhood within the same town.I recognize the need to record the actual poems, chants, and game rules, but I could've done without quite so many. I was more interested in how the folklore was transmitted, and what the variations were over time.A great addition to classes on game studies and play. I wish more people were doing work in this area.

I actually read this book when I was in 6th or 7th grade. I could tell it was "for adults" and yet I found many good stories and rhymes in it suitable for my own uses (especially that story about the dog!) -- and I remember reading about some of the dark meanings behind the clapping games and jumprope songs I played as a kid. It was interesting to read it at that age and recognize both the things "kids" didn't "get" about the games, rhymes etc. but also the things that "adults" didn't "get" about our use of these things.