In my role as a bookseller, behind the scenes operator and an aunt I find many different types of books with varying degrees of likable success. One of those books I found recently was an online reader called How NOT to Make a Jelly Sandwich by Ross Burach who is doing double duty as author and illustrator. The book’s result became one that was not different in the sense the idea was different (a girl makes a sandwich in a creative way as we have seen precocious kids do every day tasks perhaps a bit less than ordinary) but was different as it was one of the few books I really did not care for.
If you like over the top humor this is for you. I was not the audience for this book as I was not in the mood to find out why to put the jelly on your sandwich you need an elephant and a jousting match. However, the illustrations were fun.
They are simplistic but not in any negative way. They just do not contain many details other than the few that are needed to make the point Baruch wants. The lines are also simple, being almost as if the child of the story drew the images themselves. Now, I have trouble drawing stick figures so in no way could I do better, but they do not lend themselves to being what I would consider “framable” images unless you like more basic cartoon drawings.
This due in April 2026 book would be best for the kindergartener to young second grader as it works as a read aloud and an early read solo title.