About the Holiday

Most people are familiar with the story of how the Earl of Sandwich created the first sandwich and parlayed his invention to world-wide stature as it became part of nearly everyone’s daily routine. And it all got started during a card game in the British town of Sondwic, which became Sandwic, and finally Sandwice—which means “Market town on sandy soil.” Seems the Earl got hungry but didn’t want to get his cards stained with greasy fingerprints, so he ordered his meat between slices of bread, and a new culinary star was born. Celebrate this month’s holiday by trying some of the many types of sandwiches made popular in various regions of the country and areas around the world!

Sam’s Sandwich

By David Pelham

With a gleam in his eye, Sam entreats his sister to grab the bread and butter to make a sandwich. Starving and eager to “raid the pantry,” Sam’s sis urges her brother to slather on the butter. “‘Don’t worry, Sis.’” Sam smirks. “‘You’ll never / eat a tastier sandwich…ever!” But perhaps Sam’s eyes glint a little too much. While Samantha celebrates the crispy greenness of the lettuce leaves, “as a tasty little filler, / Sam popped in a… [caterpillar].”

Next Samantha adds “big tomatoes, red and round, / while in the garden Sam had dug / a hole and found a slimy…” (What do you think? Yes—“slug”). Another layer sports cheese and ants, topped with watercress and a creepy fly. Cucumber makes any sandwich yummy, but Sam’s wiggly worm? That’s kind of crummy.

Watching the sandwich grow, Samantha can hard wait to dig in: “‘Add some hard-boiled eggs as well.’ / Samantha drooled and cracked a shell. / But Sam had seen a silver trail / that led him to a crunchy…” (shall we say it together?—“snail”). A spider rests in the pile of salami, and in the tier of onion rings, Sam gets creative, plopping down a small tadpole.

Copyright David Pelham, 2015, courtesy of candlewick.com

Samantha pronounces the sandwich finished, and with a flourish sauces it up with a squirt of ketchup. “But Sam still felt that it might need / a creepy-crawly… [centipede].” Even though Samantha is licking her lips, she remembers the beloved sibling who helped her build such sustenance. As she reached “toward the plate and grabbed the bread, / “‘Would you like some, Sam?’ she said.”

Magnanimous to the end, Sam begs off: “‘I’m full. I’m stuffed. I really am. / so you can have it all,’” said Sam.”

This edition, published for the 25^th anniversary of David Pelham’s classic book of sibling trickery, is pure fun and eye-poppingly realistic. Opening the thick “bread” cover reveals layer after layer of sandwich fixin’s on the right hand side. The bright images of tomatoes, boiled eggs, lettuce, cucumbers, and the rest of the ingredients look good enough to eat—until readers fold out the edges to discover Sam’s special additions. The rhyming text is ingenious and sly, begging kids to shout out the name of the creature Sam has sprinkled into Samantha’s lunch.

Guaranteed to make kids laugh, Sam’s Sandwich is a terrific addition to a child’s bookshelf for home story times and take-along reading.

Ages 3 – 8

Candlewick, 2015 | ISBN 978-0763678081

Check out what lurks between the bread in this Sam’s Sandwich book trailer!

National Sandwich Month Activity 

Scrumptious Sandwiches Word Scramble 

Sandwiches are fun to build and delicious to eat! The only hard part is trying to figure out which kind to have. Maybe this list will help! Print this Scrumptious Sandwiches Puzzle and unscramble the names to pick your favorite. Here’s the Solution!

Picture Book Review

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