The Sandwich Swap

Review of The Sandwich Swap by Her Majesty Queen Rania From School Library Journal

The day Lily stops eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich to tell Salma her hummus and pita sandwich looks yucky—and vice versa—is the day they stop being friends. Their collaborative art projects end. They no longer play on the swings or jump rope together, and, at lunch time, they sit at different tables. As their story spreads across the school, so does intolerance. Students begin choosing sides in the cafeteria and calling each other "Jelly heads" and "Chickpea brains." When the two girls get caught in the middle of a food fight and called to the principal's office, they decide it's time to make some changes. The first is accomplished over their sandwich lunch; the second, over a multicultural smorgasbord, the latter depicted on a foldout of an enormous table laden with dishes and flags. Soft watercolor cartoon illustrations portray a lively student body and a slightly forbidding principal. This engaging title reminds children that having the courage to try new things can result in positive experiences.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada
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I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, this book! The pictures were adorable and made the characters very lovable. The story taught a very valuable lesson on accepting differences. I even like the font used for the text. My girls loved the book and were even able to talk about friends form school who ate different types of food than them. It sparked interest in different cultures and we have been trying many foods after a trip to Jay's International Market. A great book for the classroom and beyond.