Module 2 - Bread and Jam for Frances

Summary:

This book is about a little girl named Frances that loves bread and jam.  In fact she loves it so much that she has bread, jam and milk for every meal.  She always has it before she leaves for school in the morning.  Then she has the same thing at lunch and at dinner.  She does not like to try new things.  She only wants bread and jam.  However, after a while she begins to tire of it.  Her parents had always asked her to try something different but they just stopped trying.  They let her eat the bread and jam whenever she liked.  Frances begins to wonder about everyone else and the things they eat.  She is getting very bored with bread and jam.  Eventually, she realizes that eating the same thing forever is not what Frances wants and she does want to try new foods.  She is glad that her family still wants her to eat with them at dinner and have what they have.  Frances likes trying new things now. 


APA Reference:


Hoban, R. (1964). Bread and jam for Frances. New York, NY:  HarperCollins Publishers.

My Impressions:

I actually liked this one a little bit.  I am not fond of many children’s books but this one has a good moral to the story.  At least I thought so.  Frances does not like to try new things.  She gets to eat bread and jam whenever she wants now because her family is tired of trying to get her to try new foods.  This seems fun at first.  This would be my daughter’s dream!  However, the reader soon begins to realize that getting what you want may not always be the best thing.  Frances realizes what she is missing out on.  This helps her break out of her routine and explore healthier food choices.  This is a great thing for all children to learn. 

Professional Reviews:

Publishers Weekly Review

Frances loves nothing better than jam and bread, and turns up her nose at other kinds of food. Then her mother starts giving Frances jam and bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner. ``What I am/is sick of Jam,'' Frances sings to herself. That's the end of Frances's jam-only days, as she discovers, in her own winsome way, that variety really is the spice of mealtimes. (4-8)

Publishers Weekly. (1987, June 27). Bread and jam for Frances (Book Review). Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-443096-8

Library Uses:

a.       This book would make a great selection for a story time for young children.

b.      This could also be used during a lesson for healthy eating habits.