The Couch Potato
(OverDrive Listen)

Jory John. (2020). The Couch Potato. Unabridged HarperCollins.

Jory John. 2020. The Couch Potato. HarperCollins.

Jory John, The Couch Potato. HarperCollins, 2020.

Jory John. The Couch Potato. Unabridged HarperCollins, 2020.

OverDrive Product Record

images

• cover:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0293-1/{F6BE215B-530B-4517-8B90-E5C720725A8F}Img100.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• thumbnail:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0293-1/{F6BE215B-530B-4517-8B90-E5C720725A8F}Img200.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover150Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0293-1/F6B/E21/5B/{F6BE215B-530B-4517-8B90-E5C720725A8F}Img150.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover300Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0293-1/F6B/E21/5B/{F6BE215B-530B-4517-8B90-E5C720725A8F}Img400.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg

formats

1. • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9780063087989
   • name: OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
   • id: audiobook-mp3
2. • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9780063087989
   • name: OverDrive Listen
   • id: audiobook-overdrive

mediaType

Audiobook

primaryCreator

• role: Author
• name: Jory John

title

The Couch Potato

dateAdded

2020-10-28T16:44:00-04:00

contentDetails

1. • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=5773098
   • type: text/html
   • account:
     • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
     • id: 1151

sortTitle

Couch Potato

crossRefId

5773098

series

The Food Group

id

f6be215b-530b-4517-8b90-e5c720725a8f

starRating

4.3

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain

False

formats

1. • duration: 00:09:04
   • fileName: CouchPotato-16981
   • partCount: 0
   • fileSize: 4355552
   • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9780063087989
   • name: OverDrive Listen
   • isReadAlong: False
   • id: audiobook-overdrive
   • onSaleDate: 11/3/2020
   • samples:
     1. • source: From the book
        • formatType: audiobook-overdrive
        • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=f6be215b-530b-4517-8b90-e5c720725a8f&.epub-sample.overdrive.com

creators

1. • role: Author
   • fileAs: John, Jory
   • bioText:

     Jory John is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time E. B. White Read Aloud Honor recipient. Jory's work includes the award-winning Goodnight Already! series; the bestselling Food Group series, including The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, and more; the national bestseller All My Friends Are Dead; and many more popular picture books. You can visit him online at joryjohn.com.

   • name: Jory John
2. • role: Narrator
   • fileAs: Heyborne, Kirby
   • name: Kirby Heyborne

publishDate

2020-11-03T00:00:00Z

edition

Unabridged

isOwnedByCollections

True

title

The Couch Potato

fullDescription

An Instant New York Times Bestseller * An Instant Indie Bestseller * An Indie Next List Selection

Feeling fried? Peel yourself on the couch and meet your new pal-tato! The winning fourth picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, and The Cool Bean, Jory John and Pete Oswald, will get you and your kids moving!

The Couch Potato has everything within reach and doesn't have to move from the sunken couch cushion. But when the electricity goes out, Couch Potato is forced to peel away from the comforts of the living room and venture outside. Could fresh air and sunshine possibly be better than the views on screen?

Readers of all ages will laugh along as their new best spuddy learns that balancing screen time and playtime is the root to true happiness.

Check out Jory John and Pete Oswald's funny, bestselling books for kids 4-8 and anyone who wants a laugh:

The Bad Seed

The Good Egg

The Cool Bean

The Couch Potato

The Good Egg Presents: The Great Eggscape!

The Bad Seed Presents: The Good, the Bad, the Spooky!

The Cool Bean Presents: As Cool as It Gets

That's What Dinosaurs Do

seriesId

744919

gradeLevels

1. • value: Grade 2
2. • value: Grade 3

reviews

1. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content: Narrator Kirby Heyborne captures the hilarity and wordplay of THE COUCH POTATO, which is part of the Food Group series. Couch Potato starts out bragging about all the joys of being lazy, having many devices and never-ending screen time, and having everything you need within reach at the tap of a button. But when a power outage causes Couch Potato to reexamine his idle ways, he learns that life needs balance. Heyborne is excitable and funny as he describes Potato's love of everything digital. His narration turns thoughtful as Potato remembers what it's like to enjoy things that don't require power and a plug-in. His voice captures the wonder of the outdoors and the enjoyment that Potato finds connecting with others in a non-digital world. S.B.T. 2022 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
2. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     December 1, 2020
     

     K-Gr 3-The term couch potato was coined in 1979 to describe kids who spent more time on the couch than outside playing. John's book toys with that concept in this exaggerated story of an anthropomorphic potato who pridefully shows the reader every device it owns. Each of them is designed to make sure Couch Potato never gets off the couch. When one last device is delivered and is plugged in, the lights go out. Couch Potato opens the curtains and notices what they haven't seen in ages: the outdoors! With nothing else to do, Couch Potato ventures outside and finds there is plenty to do. The COVID-19 pandemic has kept children in isolation indoors and developing couch potato tendencies through no fault of their own; this tale is timely and helps make the point that a balance of technology and old-school fun might be the way to go. The cartoonish art serves the story well, reaching for every last pun and bit of wordplay. VERDICT A goofy story about the dangers of too much of one thing, and a lighthearted lesson for all.-Joan Kindig, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA

     Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

3. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     November 1, 2020
     Can a couch potato peel themself off their beloved, comfortable couch? John and Oswald's titular spud certainly finds it very hard to do so. Why should they leave their "comfy, cozy couch" when everything that's needed is within reach? Their doodads and gadgets to amuse and entertain, their couch's extendable gloved hands to grab food from the kitchen, and screens upon screens to watch their favorite TV shows (highlights: MadYam, Fries), play their favorite video games, and livestream their friends. Where's the need to leave the living room? Then..."PEW-WWWWWWW"! The electricity goes out one day. Left without screens and gizmos, the couch potato decides to take dog Tater "for a walk...outside," where the trees and birds and skies seem rich, "like a high-resolution 156-inch curved screen, but even more realistic." The outdoor experience proves cathartic and freeing, away from those cords that bind, liberating enough to commit this couch potato to spending more time off the couch. Similar to The Bad Seed (2017), The Good Egg (2019), and The Cool Bean (2019) in small-scale scope and moral learning, this latest guidebook to life retains John's attention to textual goodness, balancing good-humored laughs with a sincere conversational tone that immediately pulls readers in. Naturally, Oswald's succinct artwork--loaded with genial spuds, metatextual nods, and cool aloofness--continues this loose series' winsome spirit. No counterarguments here, couch potatoes. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 65.9% of actual size.) Looking for a spud-tacular read? Starch here. (Picture book. 4-8)

     COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

4. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     January 1, 2021
     The reliable duo behind the nondidactic (and puntastic) behavior-themed picture books The Bad Seed; The Good Egg (rev. 1/19); and The Cool Bean (rev. 3/20) tackle the topic of excessive screen time. Our couch-potato protagonist (a cheery, bright-eyed cartoon potato) has a favorite spot: the sofa. From there, it can see "a sea of shimmering screens, from wall to shining wall. What joy! What bliss!" As a TV-watcher, an online gamer, and a live-streamer, all of its social interactions are virtual. (The line "It's much easier than trying to meet up somewhere, like folks did in the olden days" has a particular resonance right now.) While plugging in its newest device -- "a video camera that would allow me to watch myself react while I was watching all my favorite shows" -- our hero blows a fuse. This leads to some much-needed fresh air, face-to-face interaction, and outdoor adventure besting anything with pixels. Text and illustrations ("scanned watercolor textures and digital paint") are packed with humor, from the potato's guileless expressions to its favorite shows ("M*A*S*H*E*D Potatoes") and ingenious inventions (self-pouring milk and cereal) to its pals, a.k.a. "best spuddies." By the end, the tater still loves electronic devices and couch-sitting, but its horizons have been expanded to the great outdoors, and to analog reading: Catcher in the Fry.

     (Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

5. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     January 1, 2021
     The reliable duo behind the nondidactic (and puntastic) behavior-themed picture books The Bad Seed; The Good Egg (rev. 1/19); and The Cool Bean (rev. 3/20) tackle the topic of excessive screen time. Our couch-potato protagonist (a cheery, bright-eyed cartoon potato) has a favorite spot: the sofa. From there, it can see "a sea of shimmering screens, from wall to shining wall. What joy! What bliss!" As a TV-watcher, an online gamer, and a live-streamer, all of its social interactions are virtual. (The line "It's much easier than trying to meet up somewhere, like folks did in the olden days" has a particular resonance right now.) While plugging in its newest device -- "a video camera that would allow me to watch myself react while I was watching all my favorite shows" -- our hero blows a fuse. This leads to some much-needed fresh air, face-to-face interaction, and outdoor adventure besting anything with pixels. Text and illustrations ("scanned watercolor textures and digital paint") are packed with humor, from the potato's guileless expressions to its favorite shows ("M*A*S*H*E*D Potatoes") and ingenious inventions (self-pouring milk and cereal) to its pals, a.k.a. "best spuddies." By the end, the tater still loves electronic devices and couch-sitting, but its horizons have been expanded to the great outdoors, and to analog reading: Catcher in the Fry. Elissa Gershowitz

     (Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

6. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     November 1, 2020
     Preschool-Grade 2 A self-satisfied spud, Couch Potato spends any free time slouching on an upscale couch (equipped with robotic arms that supply snacks) and facing a wall of screens offering multiple electronic entertainment options. One day, when the electricity fails and the house suddenly goes dark, the potato ventures outdoors. Surprised by the sun's brightness, Couch Potato likens the real world to "a high-resolution 156-inch curved screen, but even more realistic." The chirping sound isn't a ringtone; actual birds are nearby! Soon the formerly sedentary potato is hiking, biking, playing board games, and hanging out with friends. Upon reflection, Couch Potato decides to live his life "in person." Written with a light touch, the story is amusing and appealing, while the lively, increasingly colorful illustrations portray the settings and the main character with expression. From the writer and illustrator of The Bad Seed (2017), The Good Egg (2019), and The Cool Bean (2019), this picture book certainly has a point to make, but it does so with disarming wit and abundant charm.

     COPYRIGHT(2020) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

popularity

2861

links

• self:
  • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/f6be215b-530b-4517-8b90-e5c720725a8f/metadata
  • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
• shareInLibby:
  • href: https://link.overdrive.com/share?q=KhdYAMShdiw
  • type: text/HTML

id

f6be215b-530b-4517-8b90-e5c720725a8f

starRating

4

readingOrder

4

images

• cover:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0293-1/{F6BE215B-530B-4517-8B90-E5C720725A8F}Img100.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• thumbnail:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0293-1/{F6BE215B-530B-4517-8B90-E5C720725A8F}Img200.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover150Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0293-1/F6B/E21/5B/{F6BE215B-530B-4517-8B90-E5C720725A8F}Img150.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover300Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0293-1/F6B/E21/5B/{F6BE215B-530B-4517-8B90-E5C720725A8F}Img400.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg

isPublicPerformanceAllowed

False

languages

1. • code: en
   • name: English

subjects

1. • value: Juvenile Fiction
2. • value: Juvenile Literature
3. • value: Humor (Fiction)

publishDateText

11/03/2020

otherFormatIdentifiers

1. • type: ISBN
   • value: 9780063026049

mediaType

Audiobook

shortDescription

An Instant New York Times Bestseller * An Instant Indie Bestseller * An Indie Next List Selection

Feeling fried? Peel yourself on the couch and meet your new pal-tato! The winning fourth picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, and The Cool Bean, Jory John and Pete Oswald, will get you and your kids moving!

The Couch Potato has everything within reach and doesn't have to move from the sunken couch cushion. But when the electricity goes out, Couch Potato is forced to peel away from the comforts of the living room and venture outside. Could fresh air and sunshine possibly be better than the views on screen?

Readers of all ages will laugh along as their new best spuddy learns that balancing screen time and playtime is the root to true happiness.

Check out Jory John and Pete Oswald's funny, bestselling books for kids 4-8 and anyone who wants a laugh:

The Bad...

sortTitle

Couch Potato

lexileScore

550

crossRefId

5773098

series

The Food Group

awards

1. • source: Audio Publishers Association
   • value: Audie Award Nominee

publisher

HarperCollins

bisacCodes

1. • code: JUV015010
   • description: Juvenile Fiction / Health & Daily Living / Daily Activities
2. • code: JUV019000
   • description: Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories
3. • code: JUV049000
   • description: Juvenile Fiction / Computers & Digital Media