A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! "This engaging title reminds children that having the courage to try new things can result in positive experiences." -- Booklist "Amplifies...themes of acceptance and sharing." -- Publishers Weekly "Humor leavens Al Abdullah's timely...message about cultural sensitivity ." -- Horn Book From Her Majesty Queen Raina Al Abdullah of Jordan and award-winning children's book author Kelly DiPucchio comes an inspiring story about celebrating similarities across cultures. Lily and Salma are best friends. They like doing all the same things, and they always eat lunch together. Lily eats peanut butter and Salma eats hummus--but what's that between friends? It turns out, a lot. Before they know it, a food fight breaks out. Can Lily and Salma put aside their differences? Or will a sandwich come between them? This hopeful story highlights the positive impact of sharing our experiences with each other and valuing what makes us different. In a glorious three-page gatefold at the end of the book, Salma, Lily, and all their classmates come together in the true spirit of tolerance and acceptance. Kindergarten-Grade 2—The day Lily stops eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich to tell Salma her hummus and pita sandwich looks yucky—and vice versa—is the day they stop being friends. Their collaborative art projects end. They no longer play on the swings or jump rope together, and, at lunch time, they sit at different tables. As their story spreads across the school, so does intolerance. Students begin choosing sides in the cafeteria and calling each other "Jelly heads" and "Chickpea brains." When the two girls get caught in the middle of a food fight and called to the principal's office, they decide it's time to make some changes. The first is accomplished over their sandwich lunch; the second, over a multicultural smorgasbord, the latter depicted on a foldout of an enormous table laden with dishes and flags. Soft watercolor cartoon illustrations portray a lively student body and a slightly forbidding principal. This engaging title reminds children that having the courage to try new things can result in positive experiences.— Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. The Queen of Jordan is the co-author of this lively picture book based on her nursery-school experiences that taught her to be “open to what seems foreign or strange.” Salma and Lily are best friends at school, and lively, double-page spreads show the girls having fun, drawing pictures, playing in the schoolyard, and eating lunch together, until one day Lily blurts out that Salma’s sandwich (pita bread and hummus) looks kind of yucky, and Salma says the same about her friend’s peanut butter and jelly (“looks gross, and it smells bad, too”). The harmonious pictures change to show angry standoffs, and other kids choose sides, shout insults, and begin a huge food fight. Finally, after a visit to the principal’s office, Salma and Lily feel ashamed. They taste each other’s sandwiches (yummy!), hug, and trade lunch. The story is preachy, and food makes a too-easy peacemaker. But preschoolers will recognize the school drama of friends and enemies and the messy confrontations that are resolved. Preschool-Grade 2. --Hazel Rochman “This engaging title reminds children that having the courage to try new things can result in positive experiences.”― School Library Journal “The Queen of Jordan is the co-author of this lively picture book based on her nursery-school experiences that taught her to be open to what seems foreign or strange.”― Booklist Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan is a mother, a wife, a boss, an advocate, and a humanitarian. She is dedicated to defending the welfare of children around the world: she is UNICEF’s Eminent Advocate for Children. Known also as a champion of cross-cultural tolerance and a campaigner for global education, Her Majesty collaborates with international organizations and grassroots projects in these areas. Her Majesty is married to King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan, they have 4 children.   Kelly DiPucchio (www.kellydipucchio.com) has written several children's picture books including the New York Times bestseller Grace for President, Bed Hogs, Liberty's Journey , and Mrs. McBloom, Clean Up Your Classroom! A graduate of Michigan State University, Kelly lives in southern Michigan with her husband and three children.   Used Book in Good Condition