The Sandwich Swap

It’s nice to see children resolve their differences so quickly, and without the baggage buffers that adults put up. In The Sandwich Swap, Salma and Lily have a squabble over something dumb, which I’d guess could be the basis for many international disputes. In this case, the girls can’t stand the look, smell or texture of each other’s sandwiches. (Lily eats PBJs every day while Salma’s is a bit more upscale, humus and pita bread.) But it doesn’t matter since what the other is eating has long been a silent bone of contention for them both.

One day, like an old married couple, they blurt out how gross the other sandwich is. The resulting rift is pretty dramatic for elementary school girls. Once their mutual disgust is admitted, they don’t do anything that they used to do together, such as jump rope, draw, and play on the swings. Most importantly they don’t eat with each other in the cafeteria anymore. Worse, because they tell other friends about the falling out, battle lines are drawn. Insults between the opposing camps are the first things hurled, but then it becomes actual food. A huge food fight breaks out, originated with the rift but certainly forgotten once the carbs start flying.

What’s refreshing here is the girls don’t have to be told what they’ve brought about; even though they are sent to the principal’s office, that’s not what makes them change. They observe how their own pettiness has brought about chaos. They learn some humility, and about how quickly hostilities can get out of control. It’s not didactic though, but lightly funny, with a fitting end of the girls moving not only beyond their foolish behavior, but discovering–a bit like Sam-I-Am–that they like other kinds of foods than they expected.

The watercolor illustrations are whimsical and light, reminding me a bit of Roald Dahl. The Sandwich Swap is written by Queen Rania Al Abdullah with Kelly DiPucchio, and it’s illustrated by Tricia Tusa. It is published by Hyperion Book CH and has 32 pages. Pre-readers and early readers will find it enjoyable. A post-reader like me certainly did.