The Giant Jam Sandwich (Sandpiper Book) (Rise and Shine)

I have the original hardcover of this book and LOVED IT as a kid. I bought this book for a friend who was having a baby. I did not get to use the CD, so I do not have much to say about that feature, but the story is great and stretches kids minds into a world of imagination and fun.

This review is from: The Giant Jam Sandwich (Piper Picture Books) (Paperback)
I ordered this book as part of our children's school curriculum (we homeschool), and it is really well done. All of our children liked it (ranging in age from 6 yrs old, down to the toddlers). The story line is unique, the story's background is really neat, which is that author used to put jam on a crust of bread and place the bread far away from their picnics, so the wasps would congregate at his crust instead of his picnic...one day a friend was with him and a wasp was chasing him around his head. It scared his friend, and no matter how far away his friend ran, the wasp chased him. To help allay his fears, the author told him a story about a giant jam sandwich...the pictures are really cute and pretty detailed. My kids enjoyed looking at the different parts of each picture and what was happening at each part. The story is unique, and all in all well done.

ISBN 0395160332 - Printed in the United States of America. No age range stated. Pictorial hardcover without dustjacket. 26 pages. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1972. Story and pictures by John Vernon Lord; verses by Janet Burroway.

A huge invasion of wasps torments the people of Itching Down, who come together to solve this enormous problem. Their ingenious solution? A giant jam sandwich, of course!

Told in superbly flowing rhyme, this is a story that captures the attention in a dozen small ways. The story has elements of the scary - an invasion of wasps! - and hilarity - the best laughs are found in the details of the awesome illustrations. It lulls you to sleep a bit with the smooth rhythm of the rhymes and at the same time it keeps you alert for the next turn the tale will take! Other than one child with a totally understandable fear of wasps, I have yet to meet a child who didn't find this story absolutely delightful. I'm pretty sure that the wasp-fearful will find something to like here, too. Like the gooey, sticky end of four million wasps! The illustrations are so full of detail that it is possible to find something new with every reading.

- AnnaLovesBooks

This story is catchy, rhythmical, mathematical, and its illustrations are above-the-rest awesome. Seriously, this book rocks for those in between 4 and 9 years. Look for a set of three men which appear on each layout page of the book. Its like a separate hidden story all its own. Because it is more geared towards toddler-age and above, I think you would be just fine with the paperback version, which is what we own.

My younger brother loved this book. And as the oldest child, who was learning to read...it became my job to read this book to him, maybe because Mom and Dad got tired of it after the millionth time. I have many fond memories of reading this book with him and am excited about ordering a copy for my kids today. I was suprised to read reviews that said the book was difficult to read and the pictures were uninteresting. I remember finding the pictures very entertaining as a child and discussing them in detail. I haven't seen the book in years and remember several of the pictures clearly with great fondness. Some also have reviewed that they had a hard time with the verse. As a young reader I had no problems with it, but then again...I had heard my parents read it before, so I was familiar with the meter. There just seem to be some verses of poems that I have a hard time hearing the meter until someone else reads/sings it for me. And given how few people have mentioned that they've had a hard time finding the meter, I would not let it stop you from buying this book. I feel like if the reviewers who didn't enjoy the book could hear the book as it was meant to be read they would find that they also enjoy the book a lot.

This kooky story has been around for 30 years and is about a severe problem that the folks of Itching Down were having when four million wasps flew into town. It tells how the townsfolk figured out a brilliant plan to solve that problem. The rhyming text is fun to read and my kids and I had it memorized in no time and went around the house saying it aloud and laughing our heads off. Even though we've always had a pretty big library of bedtime stories this was the hands down favorite of my four boys and one of mine as well. At first I wasn't too thrilled with the illustrations because they're really cartoonish but the zany characters, all up in arms about the winged menace are actually a perfect compliment to the fun-loving text and they have really grown on me. In this day of chemical pollutants maybe a giant jam sandwich isn't too silly of an idea anyway!

THE GIANT JAM SANDWICH was one of my favorite illustrated stories when I was a kid. I remember in first and second grade listening to this story at story time in the library. This book was one of those rare books that every kid in the class sat still for because we loved it so much and didn't want to miss one word or not be able to see one of the pictures. The story is rather simple; basically a town is over run by wasps and in order to get rid of the pesky insects, they build a giant jam sandwich. However, the original rhyming pattern adds a touch of flare to the story. Also, the illustrations are a pure joy to look at. This is a great book that most children will enjoy. But be forewarned, it's a book kids might want you to read over and over and over again.

"The Giant Jam Sandwich" is great for any kid with a vivid imagination its laid out in such a way that it flows like honey or in the case of this book STRAWBERRY JAM! The basis of this book is the town of "Itching Down" has one serious dilemma, one day in flew 4 million wasps and of course they were wreaking havoc for everyone and everything so what do you do to try to get rid of these pesky wasps? why build a giant jam sandwich and trap them in it!
From what I see this book came out 30yrs ago its has a fun rhyming text, the illustrations are great I love the expressions of the townsfolk and it showcases a community really coming together to solve a big buzzing problem. A great food fun book a lot like "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs" which I also highly recommend. This book is complete fun for the family a great story to bring along for picnics just don't forget to pack your own jam sandwiches!

I loved checking this book out from my school library over 35 years ago.. cute story, fun pictures and I'm so happy to have found it for my daughter. I do think it's overpriced for a paperback book though.

I remembered this book from my childhood so I bought it for my children. My four year old loves this book so much that we read it every night. She can picture read it to me because she knows all the words. The book is neat because it talks about a town that has been invaded by wasps and the townspeople meet to talk about how to get rid of them. The baker comes up with making a giant jam sandwich and trapping them in it. Interesting illustrations and cute plot. I would recommend this book.

One hot summer day four million wasps flew into town. What will the villagers do to get the wasp out of town? A baker jumps to his feet and says "What do wasps like most? Strawberry jam! Now wait a minute! If we made a gaint jam sandwich we could trap them in it". The chief told the village how to make the bread. When the dough was ready they set it to bake in a tall building. All the windows shook and shivered. When it was ready they sliced it and spread butter and jam on the bread. Will teamwork save the village? Will their plan work? I like how the village works as a team. I reccommend this book to parents that want to teach their children how important it is to work as a team.
Review by Armani age 7

I literally have this book memorized. I could recite it right now without missing a word because I've read it SO. MANY. TIMES. to my kids. It was my favorite book as a kid, and when my mother-in-law gave me a copy that belonged to my husband when he was a boy, I was thrilled. This book never gets old. My kids love it, and so do I. You know how some books are difficult to read aloud? You know how the rhymes aren't quite right, and the meter is off? Well, not this book. It can be read aloud with ease. The cadence is perfect...the words fall just fall into place. Plus, the story is truly entertaining for an imaginative child. The drawings are a bit dated (it was the 70s, after all) but they're still hilarious and get everyone giggling. Truly a classic!

One hot summer day four million wasps flew into town. What will the villagers do to get the wasp out of town? A baker jumps to his feet and says "What do wasps like most? Strawberry jam! Now wait a minute! If we made a gaint jam sandwich we could trap them in it". The chief told the village how to make the bread. When the dough was ready they set it to bake in a tall building. All the windows shook and shivered. When it was ready they sliced it and spread butter and jam on the bread. Will teamwork save the village? Will their plan work? I like how the village works as a team. I reccommend this book to parents that want to teach their children how important it is to work as a team.
Review by Armani age 7

I literally have this book memorized. I could recite it right now without missing a word because I've read it SO. MANY. TIMES. to my kids. It was my favorite book as a kid, and when my mother-in-law gave me a copy that belonged to my husband when he was a boy, I was thrilled. This book never gets old. My kids love it, and so do I. You know how some books are difficult to read aloud? You know how the rhymes aren't quite right, and the meter is off? Well, not this book. It can be read aloud with ease. The cadence is perfect...the words fall just fall into place. Plus, the story is truly entertaining for an imaginative child. The drawings are a bit dated (it was the 70s, after all) but they're still hilarious and get everyone giggling. Truly a classic!

This is a recurring favorite at bedtime for our 3 year old, and we've given it to a number of similar aged kids with rave reviews too. Great language, pictures, and an interesting story that makes the kids think about things like whether tractors fly, how people work together to solve problems, and the relative sizes of objects.

This is an excellent bedtime story to read to your children. The art work is fascinating and each time the book is read a new facet can be discovered. The townspeople in the story band together to rid the town of stinging insects. A delightful solution is found. My children begged for this story to be read to them again and again. Guaranteed to become a family favorite.

I read The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord. This book is about swarming wasps invading a town called Itching Down. They chased, swarmed, and stung all day long. So the people made a Gient jam sandwich to try and catch them. How that made it I can't say, you jusy have to read it to find out.

I really liked this cool book. What I like about it is that the wasps attack the small town, and they sting peaple. I also liked the pictures of the pesky wasps. Everybody should read this book.

By Emett P.

My son who is graduating from high school requested this book as a graduation gift. It is one of his favorite memories from childhood and may have even influenced his decision to become a professional pilot. A charming story told in rhyme accompanied by whimsical illustrations. An asset for any child's library.

This book transports me to childhood. That's a real trick when you consider I was 36 when I first read it. I am in charge of ordering books for a children's reading festival, and ordered several copies of this because it's such a fanciful story. I hope today's kids will continue to enjoy it.

This book has quickly become a favorite with my two oldest children, ages 4 and 2. My 2 year old loves the pictures of the big loaf of bread and my 4 year old has almost the whole book memorized. They both get up and dance with the villagers at the end of the book. I think I enjoy it as much as the kids do because the book allows for a lot of animated reading. This book will be treasured in our house for all of the good memories it has already helped to create.

This book has been a family favorite for many years. My children love the rhymes and the whimsical story and love to picture a giant sandwich being constructed. I got this book for all my nieces and nephews this year and it was a big hit.

This was my number one favorite storybook as a child and now it is a favorite of my 2 daughters. The ryhming sentences are silly and the illustrations are fun, but what really makes this such a special book is the imagination behind the story.

The Giant Jam Sandwich is written by the same author as Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. The pictures are cute and engaging. This story is easy to follow and readily lends itself to be used as a "think-a-loud". What a great catalyst for simple writing activities for the K - 2 classroom. I am very pleased with my purchase.

To battle a wasp invasion, the villagers of Itching Down create a 4-story-high loaf of bread and slice it to make a giant jam sandwich -- a monster wasp trap. The story is told in rollicking rhyme, and children ask for it to be read again and again.