What Will Become Of The Sandwich Swap?

The Sandwich Swap

Author: Kelly DiPucchio

Illustrator: Tricia Tusa

Publishing Company: Disney - Hyperion Books

Copyright Date: 2010

36 pages

Picture Book

I picked up this book because I was interested in the front cover. Even though I may have been judging this book by its cover, I was excited to find that the story was just as beautifully put together as the title had been. The premise of this story is two sandwiches, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a hummus sandwich. These sandwiches belong to two girls, Salma and Lily. They are best friends and do everything together, but when they ate lunch together they noticed that each other’s lunches did not look the same. Lily had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch every day, and Salma ate a hummus and pita sandwich for lunch. The outcome in this small difference between the two girls becomes even more than they could have ever imagined.

The illustrations in this book are very large and the majority of the Tusa’s drawings are double-spread. These illustrations are done with water color and the colors are very soft throughout. The text is kept very simple. The placement of the text is artfully positioned within Tusa’s illustrations as to keep you not only interested in the story but in the illustrations of the two girls as well.

I would use this book from kindergarten to second grade. I feel that this book has many great teaching opportunities. One of the first ways I would use this book would be to explain how to compare and contrast. Using a Venn diagram I would have the students investigate Lily and Salma’s differences to further show the diversity between the two. The second way I would use this book would be for character education. I feel that one of the best aspects of this book is the friendship between the two girls, and how they overcome their differences. So to create a connection for my students from this, I would have them build a sandwich and on each piece they would write a characteristic of a good friend. I would also use this book to teach cause and effect. Without the small differences the girls experienced, the book would have never ended the way it did.