The Bear Ate Your Sandwich

This enjoyable romp is sure to elicit giggles... Young readers and listeners will laugh out loud as they closely examine the pictures and find the jokes in this highly interactive urban adventure.

To her credit, the question of the narrator's identity--and reliability--may not come up for readers until book's end. If they do wonder, the diverting story and illustrations help to keep it a surprise. After the bear returns to the forest, the silver-tongued narrator's subterfuge quickly falls apart, and the truth is unleashed ("Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!"). The book stands up to repeat readings; the illustrations (and endpapers) beg for more attention.

"By now I think you know what happened to your sandwich," begins the unseen narrator of Sarcone-Roach's (Subway Story) sly tale. "But you may not know how it happened.... It all started with the bear." The narrator spins a long, involved story about how a bear found its way to the city (and the sandwich), while warm, painterly acrylics show what's really going on. The bear finds himself a stowaway on a berry truck that passes "high cliffs" (readers see tall buildings) and arrives in "a new forest" (a lively city street). He makes the city his own, shinnying up fire escapes and riffling ruinously through the papers outside a newsstand, then arrives in the park: "There it was. Your beautiful and delicious sandwich. All alone." The bear gobbles it down and returns to bear country by boat. Or so the storyteller says--he's revealed to be the young sandwich owner's dog, and he might not be entirely trustworthy. The fabricated story and accompanying artwork stand nicely on their own, while the narrative frame delivers an extra comic kick in the pants. Ages 3-7. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeeen Literary Management. (Jan.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2--"It all started with the bear," begins this story of what happened to a sandwich. Bear wakes up to the delectable aroma of freshly picked berries. He sniffs out a red truck, the back of which is filled with boxes of perfectly harvested berries. After having a berry party, Bear falls asleep. The truck drives him to a new forest--the city. When Bear begins to explore, he sees things in the city framed by his own experiences: a telephone pole becomes a tree, and bricks on the side of a building make great bark for scratching. In a park, he finds a lunchbox with a delicious sandwich, which he eats ravenously. When he climbs a tree, he can see his forest home in the distance and desperately wants to return. Somehow, he finds a boat, which carries him to the familiar sights and sounds of home. "So that's what happened to [the] sandwich." This is a fun story that children will enjoy, though they'll need to suspend logic a bit. The illustrations in this book are terrific: color-drenched and bold slashes that cover the pages. The funny Bear is sympathetic and is only doing what bears do--eating and sleeping. And making us laugh. This book is a fine addition to any collection.--Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren & Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Lush, color-drenched paintings..." "charming" - Wall Street Journal

"This story is mischief-making at its finest. And just like a good sandwich, it's hard to resist." - Book Page

"While the bear storyline is entertaining in itself, the ending twist will equally delight kids who love to spot untruths, and a second reading for hints as to the narrator's credibility may well be in order."
— The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred review