Carla's Sandwich

by Debbie Herman, Sheila Bailey (Illustrator)

This charming story presents a new way for young children to understand how to creatively embrace who they are, no matter what others think. Carla’s lunch box is filled with odd delights like the Olive, Pickle and Green Bean Sandwich, the Banana-Cottage-Cheese Delight, and the unforgettable Chopped Liver, Potato Chips, and Cucumber Combo. To Carla, they are delicious and creative lunches, but her teasing classmates are unconvinced and abandon her at the lunch table to eat her bizarre sandwiches alone. One day, however, tables turn when Buster—the worst tease of all—forgets his lunch on the day of the picnic and Carla thoughtfully offers him her extra sandwich. Her own spirited nature helps Carla teach her classmates that "unusual" can actually be good. Lively illustrations help showcase the book's messages of acceptance, tolerance, individuality, and creativity, and the funny plot and authentic dialogue are sure to make this tale a favorite among elementary school children. Carla's creative sandwich solutions provide young chefs-to-be with the inspiration to create sandwich masterpieces of their own.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Food, Friendship, Realistic Fiction, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children's book. This book helps teaches kids it is ok to stand out and be creative. This book also made me want to make more creative lunches for my kids lunches. I have read this book several times to my kids, and they all loved the story. The pictures are cute and funny, and I love all the pictures in this book.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story about a future foodie, everyday Carla creates and brings a new kind of sandwich to school for lunch. What kind will she bring today? What will her classmates think of her unusual concoctions?

[Faloni © · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real treat. I love to pack lunch for my babies! What a fun way to learn about the days of the week! Carla’s mom had her sandwich recipes on fleek!

[Regina Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text- to- Teaching

I love the book Carla's Sandwich! this book would be a good book to use to allow kids to express their creativity on different foods they like. I would read the book to students and allow them to discuss their favorite foods, the different styles of sandwiches and so forth. After I read the story, I would allow students to go create their own sandwich. They can include different foods they like or make a simple sandwich. then students can share their sandwich idea with the class.

[Rhonda Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carla brings odd combinations of ingredients on her sandwiches for lunch. Very cute

[Wie wärs mit deinen richtigen Namen Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Habs in ner kleinen Buchtique in Karlsruhe gekauft
Finds cool weils gar nicht 08/15 ist weil jeder liest des grade

[Snow]

es genial! pero no sé escribir una reseña porque mi español es malo. estoy leyendo para practicar :)

[Chandra Miramontes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a little girl that made weird sandwiches and ate them at lunch at school. One was banana and cottage cheese; all the children thought it was distinguishing. This book shows how Carla has a very creative mind to come up with the creations that she did.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyday Carla goes to school with a sandwich that she has concocted herself with extraordinary foods. Unlike her mocking peers, Carla thoroughly enjoys her imaginative lunches and takes pride in being unique from the other children. During a class picnic at the park, however, Carla’s lingering reputation of being ‘odd’ is stripped away when the biggest taunt of all, Buster, forgets to pack his sandwich and Carla kindly gives him one of hers. Much to everyone’s surprise, Buster finds Carla’s lettuce, tomato, raisin, bean sprout, pretzel and mayonnaise ‘Combo Deluxe’ to be the most delicious sandwich he had ever eaten! From that moment on, all the children wanted to try Carla’s Combo Deluxe and came to school the next day with their own strange sandwich. What I found particularly enjoyable from reading this story is the hidden message that is carried with it. It educates children that being creative and unique is not a bad thing and should be celebrated more often. However, I did not like how bullying based on judgments was portrayed as the norm within school culture. Despite this, Carla demonstrated resilience and continued to be her unique self. Sheila Bailey’s quirky illustrations could also grant children the opportunity to become familiar with facial expressions associated with different vocabulary together with acknowledging and celebrating individuality. Additionally, Carla’s eagerness to be innovative could influence children to create and try new foods of their own. From an English perspective, this book presents a rich body of grammatical features and vocabulary for children to investigate and learn from. Such features include noun phrases, (ad)verbs, question words and commas in a list. Merging this story with PSHE may also be a useful resource. In particular, the potential to explore and discuss different types of words and how they impact on peoples’ emotions could be valuable for young children to learn. Once read to the class, children could produce and name their own sandwich in a food tech lesson. Sandwiches containing different quantities of food groups could be examined and distinguished as either healthy or unhealthy depending what was in it during a science lesson. In my opinion, Carla’s Sandwich is a fantastic story which proposes a multitude of opportunities for children to learn from, especially those at KS1 level.

[Willow Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter enjoyed this book. I felt like it was a 3, she felt like a 5... Four it is. She thought the sandwich combinations were funny. To a few she said, "Eww that sounds gross. I don't like some of those ingredients." Yet, she asked if we could try the "combo deluxe" sandwich that Carla brings to her school picnic. It's made with tomato, lettuce, bean sprouts, raisins, pretzels and mayonnaise. We shall see... My daughter likes to experiment in the kitchen. We let her come up with her own recipes and will try whatever she makes us. A few of her weird creations have actually worked and we've made them more than once! I believe this is why she really liked the book.

Now, the main takeaways of the story are to not be afraid be yourself, don't judge someone for doing thigs differently (you might just come around to their way of thinking, if you try it), and that it's okay to be different. Nothing too deep or revolutionary, but a solid positive message overall. It's timely for the target age group, as fitting in and being accepted start to become very important in elementary school.

Unfortunately, I had a few quibbles. The bullying that happens is never really addressed. All the children make fun of Carla and refuse to sit by her at lunch. They tease her and laugh at her. No one stands up for her or intervenes. She continually brings extra food and offers it to her classmates, yet it isn't until one of the kids trys her sandwich out of hunger and desperation, that the other kids decide weird sandwiches are cool. While this herd mentality is more often the norm for teasing and bullying, none of the children apologize for their behavior towards Carla. It's just, hey this sandwich is actually tasty, let's all put together strange sandwich ingredients too! A little remorse, or a simple sorry would be a nice addition to the story's resolution. Also, Carla decides to bring a basic PB&J afterwards, because she likes being different... Plot twist, it's not about being true to yourself and what you like (or being creative), it's about being unique for uniqueness sake. Also, the illustrations are only okay. Some of the kids' expressions don't seem to match the tone of the story, which can be a bit jarring.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 Stars I wasn't quite prepared to give it 3 stars but 2 stars seems a little low.

What I liked about it, that it teaches kids that to "Don't knock it until you try it"

Carla's sandwich combos are disgusting, I just don't know how Bananas and cottage cheese in any universe is tasty, or peanut butter, crackers and cheddar cheese are tasty but if Carla likes them --eat away.

I don't like that the kids won't sit with her because of her 'gross' food choices. I know this book is about trying new things and bullying but I don't like that the whole class has turned against her. That isn't a critique against the book but an observation about the story and kids in general about life. I wish more kids would be more accepting. Maybe that is what this books is trying to say.

I really dislike the pictures. The kids look crazy. Whether it is a weird expression, missing teeth they looks crazy (I know elementary school have missing teeth but they way it is done is bizarre) wild looks in their eyes, or just angry, they are way over the top and a little frightening. Even the stuffed animals have creepy wild strange looks on their faces .

At least this books doesn't make me hungry

[Clarissa Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re hungry to learn about how being unique should always be acceptable then read this realistic fiction book about how a little girl inspires others to be different.
Carla enjoys expressing her uniqueness through her sandwich choices, and even though her classmates aren’t as creative or supportive of her lunchbox diversity, she thrives on being different. In this colorfully illustrated picture book, Carla teaches others what it means to be yourself through kindness and generosity.

The book is appropriate for 2nd and 3rd grade students. It would be suitable to teach when discussing individuality, character traits (inside & outside), bullying, and would work perfectly into writing.

I chose this as a WOW book, because I feel that students need to be introduced to text that encourage them to be themselves and not let the opinions of others dictate who they are. Not only does it teach students to be individuals, students can also learn importance of not picking on other students.

[DeCarla Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fiction book that is good for around 2nd-5th grade. This is a book that I thought taught a very good lesson. I loved how the main character Carla loved to be different from everyone. She never compromised what she liked just because everyone thought her sandwich's were gross at the sight. And another very important lesson that I thought was good was don't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case don't judge the taste of the sandwich without trying it first. But there is a deeper message that I would think that kids should learn. Just because someone is different doesn't mean that they are weird or bad. Its just different. I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be apart of my future classroom.

[Leah Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my very favorite books! I love to use it at home and in the classroom. It teaches kids that it is okay to be different! Carla doesn't care that her classmates do not want to eat her combo deluxe (raisins, mayonnaise, pretzels, and bean sprouts) , she just cares that her sandwich is delicious! I love that Carla tries to inspire other students to be creative and unique like her! If I were going to use this book as a lesson in the classroom, I would read it to my students, and then have them come up with their own crazy sandwiches like Carla! They could then name the sandwich, list the ingredients they would use, and draw a picture of the finished product.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leslie takes weird sandwich combinations to school every day. Everyone makes fun of her lunches, especially Buster. When Buster forgets his lunch on the day of the class picnic, none of his friends offer to share their traditional sandwiches with him. Buster finally breaks down and takes a bite of the sandwich Carla offers him. Surprisingly he loves it! It's the best sandwich he's ever eaten. Now all the kids want to take a bite. The next day everyone brings unusual and creative sandwiches to school... all except Carla, she likes to be different.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to be different, creative and unique. What a lovely, confident attitude for a young girl to have. Not only that, after continuous sniggering and judgement she still always brings extra to share. I love this book! It encourages trying new things and not judging others. What more can you ask for from a book about sandwiches. I’d love to use this with experimental cooking, not to mention the links to fractions.



Storyline Online link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-ace...
Activity link: http://bit.ly/tg_carlassandwich

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Might of rated this higher if I could of gotten a physical book...

A girl's classmates find her unique sandwiches gross and leave her to eat alone. On a class picnic a boy forgets his sandwich and is hungry enough to try her extra sandwich and likes it enough that everyone else decides to try it too. The next day they all bring their own unique sandwiches and Carla brings a PBJ to be different.

[Robin Raines-Bond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olive, pickle and green been sandwich??? Yes, Carla likes to be different. The other kids in her class don't think that's a good thing, but when Buster forgets his lunch on the class picnic everything changes for the better.

[Isabella Agajanian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carla’ Sandwich by Debbie Herman is about a little girl that likes to experiment with what she puts in her sandwich each day for lunch at school. All the other kids judge what is in her sandwiches thinking it is gross until one of them, Buster, tries one of her sandwiches after forgetting his lunch; it turns out that Carla makes amazing sandwiches and everyone eats one. This story follows the theme of friendship and kindness as Carla could have stopped offering her sandwiches at any point and turned cold towards the rest of her classmates, but she didn’t and instead let Buster have a sandwich when he was hungry and had extra for everyone to try. The secondary reading that coincides with this picture book would be Moebius’ code of the frame and of the right and round. This comes into play in the picture book as within each illustration in the background there is always something instead of just a blank space or one solid color like most picture books do. With there always being something in the background whether that be other children, classroom pets, the rest of the park, etc. It demonstrates that school is actually in session and that other things are occurring other than the story at hand similar to how children have to realize that there are other things happening around them; so be kind to others like Carla because you never know what else is happening.

[Joecel Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a girl who has a unique taste when it comes to food. Her classmates usually wonder what she put on her sandwiches that makes them look gross and smell funky. What I like about this book is that no matter how many children told Carla that her sandwich is nasty and gross, she never stopped making them. It tells me that Carla is very passionate when it comes to making her own sandwich and she is not afraid about what other people might have to say. Towards the end of the book where Buster tried one of Carla’s sandwich, he said that was the best sandwich he ever had. A lot of people who criticized Carla’s sandwich changed their mind and they too want to have a taste of the sandwich.

I liked this book because despite of everything her classmates told her, Carla did not get intimidated or discouraged by their reaction everything she's eating one of her unique sandwiches. Even though it was not mentioned in the story, I applaud Carla's parents because they let her to experiment her sandwich recipes. Carlas is courageous because she's confident that her parents is always there to support her.

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think that there is necessarily anything wrong with this book it is just that on a personal level there are things I don't like about the message. The illustrations are nice and I can get behind the surface level moral of not judging others or being kind even when people seem strange.

What I don't like is the idea of being different for the sake of being different. Personally, I love when people are authentic. If you are being genuine you might end up being "different" and there might be some things about you that are unique and that is great. However, if you are doing things, or acting a certain way just to be different are you being authentic? You are still allowing others determine your actions. The best example of this is the very end of the book. All the children have embraced weird (disgusting) sandwich creations and to be different Carla bring PB&J.

To me thinking for yourself is the ultimate, it is what I value most in people. I have known people like Carla. They don't actually think for themselves, they just look at what everyone else is doing and do the opposite (even when it is illogical or harmful), I find that irksome.

[Emilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Estrellas

Me encantó el cuento, se me hizo muy lindo y tierno.
Me encantó la creatividad de Carla para preparar sus sándwiches. De hecho, hay un sándwich similar que yo también me preparo y es el de plátano, solo que mi versión es con un bolillo, parto el plátano en rodajas, lo mezclo con crema y le pongo un poco azúcar para distribuir está mezcla en el bolillo, es delicioso.
Por otro lado, me gustó que Carla mantuviera su autenticidad a la hora de llevar sus sándwiches, pese a las críticas de sus compañeros y compañeras que veían con disgusto sus creaciones. No obstante, eso no fue impedimento para que Carla se distanciara y dejará de compartir sus sándwiches, se me hizo un acto tierno y empático cuando Héctor olvidó su comida para el picnic y Carla le compartió de su comida.
El cuento te deja varias reflexiones como ser fiel a ti mismo.
-Desde este contexto, si algo te gusta no tienes que dejarlo de hacerlo solo porque a los demás les parezca algo fuera de lo normal.
-Ser empático con los demás.
-Hay que salir de nuestra zona de confort.
Recomiendo leer este cuento, es bonito.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Carla's Sandwich book! It teaches children that it is okay to be different. The book is about Carla and her different sandwiches. Each day of the week, she brings a sandwich with an interesting filling combination. Thursday's sandwich honestly sounds kind of good to me: chopped liver, potato chips, and cucumber. Each day Carla is eating her creative sandwich combination in peach and one of her classmates questions her asking what is on it. Each day they have the same reaction, saying how disgusting the food sounds, and eventually nobody wants to sit by Carla. That was until one day Carla's biggest bully forgot his lunch and he reluctantly took Carla's extra combo deluxe sandwich.  To his surprise... the sandwich was delicious. He ate every last bite! Eventually, every kid in Carla's class was dying to try some. I like that after getting made fun of by her classmates every day Carla still offers her classmates some of her creative sandwich. It makes me think of the saying "kill them with kindness." 

[Clare Frederick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved this adorable story. The illustrations in this story help the setting and character really come to life for readers. In addition, this story provides a powerful message about being different and unique. Sometimes, Carla learns, unique and different will make you stand out and others may judge you for it. Carla brings very creative lunches to school, including sandwiches with odd and unique ingredients like pickles and green beans. Because of Carla’s unique diet, peers begin to stray away from her at the lunch table and she ends up eating her lunches all alone. However, there comes a day when a peer forgets his own lunch and kind Carla offers him one of her sandwiches that she has packed. This friend realizes that Carla’s sandwiches are not always as gross as they sound, showing all of the class that unique and different can be a good thing! This story inspires students to dare to be different and unique despite the opinions of their classmates through beautiful illustrations that capture the attention of young readers.

[Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you read this book you immediately feel sorry for Carla. She is not only different, but she follows in her own beat at a young age. This is an example of how someone at a young age is not afraid to be herself even though she gets made fun of for being different. As you read along make sure to pay close attention to the reading. As you follow Carla on her journey make sure to look at how the word choices flow together because they have very vivid points. Following this, each image is displayed in the book is very bold. The amount of time spent on this drawing is something that is very noticeable to the human eye. I believe the colors and choices are very specific to the environment. The theme that readers need to pay close attention to is the theme of individuality. This story of Carla can teach a lot of young people about not only trying new things but the importance of being themselves as well.

[Kristen Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this cute picture book! Throughout the story, Carla teaches the reader it is okay to stand out and be different. Carla brought very unique and creative sandwiches to school everyday for lunch. Her classmates recognize how crazy her lunches are, and soon no one wants to sit by her. Not even this can stop Carla from being who she is. One day the class had a picnic and something miraculous happened. A classmate forgot their lunch, so of course Carla offered to share. Everyone was hesitant at first, but it was a huge success for Carla and her whole class. This book is great for allowing kids to express creativity with foods they may try. Carla isn't afraid to be different and never looks back. I love how even the illustrations help show the reader the emotions of each student in the class!

[Lori C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Children's Picture Book - Fiction
Ages: K-3rd

Carla's Sandwich is a book about a girl who likes to be different. Her sandwiches are unique, adventurous, and well, pretty gross. I'd consider myself a fairly adventurous eater but chopped liver sandwiches? No. We don't have the pleasure of meeting Carla's parents in the book but I bet they are some pretty cool people. I'm not sure what kind of upbringing it takes to raise a daughter who will eat anything and everything but I'd be interested in reading *that* book. The story is good. Maybe not a very realistic take on the culinary adventures of most children but the lesson is good. Be yourself. Be kind. Be generous. Be an explorer. And sometimes, be basic.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

We listened to this as a Storybook Online, which was read by Allison Janney.

Carla brings sandwiches for lunch in interesting combinations; most of which gross out her classmates.

What I don't like is the book having kids reject her because of her lunch; and it takes one of these "rejectors" a chance to try them in order for her to be accepted.

I am not a fan of books that instill bullying as the "norm".

The illustrations are just not my cup of tea; borderline ugly.

My daughter thought it was funny but I did talk to her about being different is ALWAYS ok; and if someone doesn't want to sit with you because of your food etc; the problem is theirs..NOT YOURS.

[Delaney Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that the author did a great job creating new recipes for very unique sandwich that would definitely get a reaction out of many students. I did not like how they took advantage of Carla's kindness even after making fun of her for many days. I think the ended was sweet since everyone brought a fun sandwich and realized that something different can be fun!

I would use this book in my class to show my students that are uniqueness should be celebrated and sometimes we might run into people that do not feel the same way, but it is important to stay true to who you are. I want to show my students how to appreciate everyone's individual uniqueness!

[Paige Fulkerson · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this story, Carla is constantly ridiculed for her "creative" sandwiches that she brings to lunch each day. When the class goes on a picnic one day, Buster forgets his sandwich and is forced to try Carla's unique one. He ends up enjoying the sandwich so much that the whole class wants to try it!

I think that this book is a good "silly" story and could be paired with an activity in which students invent their own fun sandwich! I also think this is a good story about not being ashamed to be different. It's not my favorite, but I'm sure kids would love it!