The poem I want to share with you this week is The Sandwich by Tony Bradman. I found this poem in a collection of poems for young children; the illustrations in this book make the poem even more enticing despite being written for young learners.
The rhyming in this poem is a very simple; each verse has an A-B-C-B pattern that repeats itself throughout. This poem is written with children in mind and my students can easily understand what the poem is about.
My favourite thing about The Sandwich is the inspiration Bradman drew out of me to experiment with the limitless variation to a sandwich. This ordinary everyday food can be turned into something very exciting and creative, only limited by the imagination of the person making it.
I find also find it exciting when I can bring in different kinds of texts for my students to read in class, especially for my kindergarten classes. My students would often read different stories but they don’t have as much opportunity to enjoy a poem. I believe poetry is the kind of literature that can be enjoyed by all age groups, even as young as a 4-year-old!

The Sandwich

Tony Bradman

Oh what shall I have
Today for my tea?
I know – a sandwich,
As big as can be!

I’ll start with the bread,
Two slices, quite large;
Then slap on some jam,
Oh yes, and some marge,

I’ll put in some cheese,
A tomato or two,
And maybe an onion
This big one will do!

I’ll bung in some lettuce,
A radish, of course,
And…a sizzling burger,
All covered in sauce!

Add in some chicken,
And maybe some chips,
Some biscuits, an apple,
A packet of crisps,

A cake with some candles,
Some chocolate (one bar),
Spaghetti, bananas,
Sweets from a jar,

Baked beans and humbugs,
Carrots and mustard,
All topped off with cream
And steaming hot custard…

Now a sandwich like that
You really can’t beat,
It’s packed out with goodies,
A real tasty treat.

There’s only one problem;
It’s breaking my heart…
It’s such a big sandwich –
Where do I start?