Carla's Sandwich

I really enjoyed this book and the creativity that went into it. I loved the illustrations for their color and detail, and I loved how much thought was put into coming up with the different types of sandwich. Most importantly was the lesson of the story, about embracing their differences and what makes them unique, just like Carla who "liked to be different". It was an important lesson for young children to read to help them realize that the unique things they do make them the person they are, and that's perfectly okay.

I LOVE this book! It is one of those books I always go back to. The book is about a girl named Carla who brings unusual sandwiches to school for lunch, often causing her classmates to tease her, but by the end of the book she brings a PB&J and her classmates are now bringing unusual sandwiches. The story highlights the importance of accepting people for who they are. Carla stands firm in her individuality.

There are 3 main reasons why I loved this book. First, the characters showed how children are different and how to embrace uniqueness. Carla would bring in an unusual sandwich that the other students would be grossed out by. She enjoyed the idea of being different from everyone else. Second, the story pushed readers to think about how some children can be so quick to judge and make fun of their peers. Carla was persistent in being different. It did not matter to her that the other children were saying she is gross for eating those sandwiches. Some children would stop and bring in a regular sandwich, but Carla knew that being different is good. Third, the story provided great language and illustrations to be make it easier to visualize show more the sandwich and how the children’s reactions were. Because the language was so detailed, I was able to imagine how big and creative the sandwiches were before I even saw the illustrations. When the children would say, “yuck,” it was easy to imagine their facial expressions. The big message of the story was at the end when Carla stated, “Peanut butter and jelly. I like to be different”. This was a big message because once the students tried Carla’s sandwich, they brought in unusual sandwiches for lunch. Carla ended up bringing a simple peanut butter and jelly, just so she could be different from everyone else. show less

I loved this children’s book, Carla’s Sandwich, because it had a great plot, enjoyable characters, and beautiful illustrations. This book is realistic fiction because there could be a little girl who brings in unique sandwiches for lunch, but this author created the story herself. I liked how the plot was unpredictable. Myself, as the reader, could never tell what kind of sandwich Carla would bring in next and I couldn’t tell if her peers were ever going to accept her for her unique tastes. I was happily surprised that the kids in the book decided to try her sandwich, I didn’t expect that to happen, but all it took was for one kid, Buster, to try the sandwich, and then everyone else followed suit. The illustrations also helped show more the reader get to know the characters better. They were colorful and a helpful visual to aid in enhancing the story. The beautiful artwork was what tied to whole book together for me. The message of this story is great for kids to know as well. This book teaches kids to celebrate their uniqueness. No one else in the whole world is like you, and that should be celebrated. This is important for kids in today’s society to know because so much of our world is controlled by the media telling us what is normal and what isn’t. That is why the next generation should break these expectations society has posed on us and instead of all trying to fit in, we should try to stand out. Which is why I loved the ending of this story when all the children brought crazy sandwiches and Carla brought her sandwich, that was simply a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and proudly exclaimed, “I like to be different”. I liked how Carla was never affected by her peers enough to change herself. She stood her ground, and in the end, everyone appreciated her for who she is. show less

Carla likes to bring creative sandwiches to school, like a banana and cottage cheese sandwich. Her classmates find these disgusting and stop sitting by her at lunch. But one day, during a picnic that all changes when someone agrees to share the Carla's Surprise sandwich with her.
I like this book because it tells children there's nothing wrong with being creative and unique, and it's ok to have different food than your friends. Plus I couldn't stop thinking of new sandwhich combos.

My favorite thing about this book is how relatable it is. I have countless stories of students judging other students' lunches. Carla teaches a great lesson which is everyone is different and likes different things. From reading this book, students can learn not to judge others, to try new things, and even admire Carla's courage in being comfortable with her eating choices. I was worried about listening to this book but the reader did a great job reading it and I enjoyed the different voices she used. I think this book would be great for younger audiences because it is short, simple, and this is around the time that children are exposed to people eating different things. This could teach them early not to judge.

Carla always brought weird sandwiches to school. When the other kids would sit by her at lunch, they'd notice her weird sandwich and ask what in the world was on it. When Carla finished telling them what she had on her sandwich, she'd offer them one and they'd turn down her offer by saying her sandwich was gross or disgusting, but Carla thought her sandwiches were unique and different. Eventually, the kids stopped sitting by Carla at lunch. Then one day Miss Pimento, Carla's teacher, took the students on a picnic and one of Carla's classmates, Buster, forgot his sandwich. Carla, of course, offered an extra sandwich to Buster, but Buster quickly declined her offer. As the picnic went on and all of the other students were finishing their show more sandwiches, Buster grew especially hungry and took up Carla on her offer. When Buster bit into the sandwich, all of the students wondered what Buster was going to say, but he kept on eating it. After he finished Carla's sandwich, he called it the best sandwich he had ever eaten. Then all of the students wanted to try Carla's sandwich so she gave everyone a piece and they all loved it! The next day everyone brought weird sandwiches to lunch and Carla brought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I really enjoyed this book. It was super silly, but it had a nice message to it. I especially loved that in the end, when all of the other kids brought weird sandwiches, Carla brought a regular sandwich because she, "likes to be different." This is a great children's book because it encourages young children to be different in a humorous way. show less