Bread and Jam for Frances

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:30 pm

I'm reading Bread and Jam for Frances. (It's for work. Really!) Get this, for lunch at the end of the book Frances has (after she gets over having non-stop bread and jam) cream of tomato soup, lobster salad sandwich, celery, carrot sticks, black olives, two plums, a tiny basket of cherries, and vanilla pudding with chocolate sprinkles.

Her little buddy Albert had cream cheese with cucumbers and tomatoes on rye, a hard boiled egg (and a little cardboard shaker of salt to go with it), a thermos bottle of milk, a bunch of grapes and a tangerine, a cup custard and a spoon to eat it with.

mamamia · Post by **mamamia** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:32 pm

I have always loved that book!! Those lunches certainly sound like they would last untili dinner!!

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:34 pm

Sounds about what my kid (age 10) is eating right now. When they're growing, they can put it away!

I packed the following for him today. (Note: the day camp requests a lunch and two snacks. Sigh. I guess they have to fill the time. I packed this, and let him split it out as he liked.)

Cup of tomato soup (in thermos)
Ham sandwich (Two thin deli slices ham, whole wheat bread. Nothing else, because that's how he wants it.)
Apple
1/2 c. container potato salad (from dinner last night)
1/2 c. container blueberries
2-3 slices dried mango (a current favorite treat)
Two small homemade Snickerdoodles (cookies)
1/2 cup trail mix (nuts/fruit, a few M&M-type candies)
Water

Grammy G · Post by **Grammy G** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:32 am

I love Frances! Don'tcha love how she fixes up her little desk before she eats? aaawwwww! I haven't thought about Frances for quit awhile. For a short time I was a librarian in grades k-3 and I always did a Francis unit with the k-kids! Aren't the illustrations wonderful too? aaawwww! I bought the whole series for each batch of granddaughters as they came along. Every child should be exposed to Francis and her friends and family. aaaaaawww! Thanks for making me smile... and yes, that is a wonderful lunch!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:38 am

We love Frances here too.

As a kid, I always thought her lunch sounded so *fancy* ... DD is partial to bread and jam and I sometimes sing "Jam on biscuits, jam on toast, jam is the thing that I like most... " when I'm fixing it for her.

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 1:56 am

I love Frances too. Grammy, I think I should start fixing my desk the way Frances does with the little vase of violets and the lace cloth. And I always thought a little cardboard shaker of salt for my hard boiled egg sounded so refined.

Hmmm... I have to work tomorrow. Maybe I will make myself a hardboiled egg. And cream cheese and tomatoes on rye does sound quite tasty.

The hardest thing was I reading this late afternoon and was just famished by the time I got done.

Miyabi · Post by **Miyabi** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:53 pm

A while back there was a thread about how having several (at least 3) items in a lunch box helped one feel satisfied. This exact picture came into my mind, especially the little salt shaker with the boiled egg, and the delighted expression on the little boy's face as he contemplated his spread. It's wonderful how a great illustration can stay with you.

Hoeka · Post by **Hoeka** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 4:10 pm

What an alternative source of education No-S is!!

I had to ask that know-it-all, uncle Google, about Frances & Albert. One page gave this lovely quote:

â€œI think itâ€™s nice that there are all different kinds of lunches and breakfasts and dinners and snacks. I think eating is nice.â€

I so agree!

Thanks for this, Blithe - a lovely thought, just in time before I start preparing supper.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 5:08 pm

Not having children, I had never heard of this book before. It sounds great!

Grammy G · Post by **Grammy G** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:18 pm

Oh, Oolala..go to the children's section of the library some day and read at least one! I know you will enjoy the experience! I can't help but smile and feel "sunny' whenever I even think about these books! They each have a wonderful message.. the illustrations are perfect for the stories.. and Frances sing wonderful songs! (When my kids' were small, I sang a made up "good night" song to them every night about what we had done that day..and they could add something..if they sang it. The last line was always something about going to sleep and dreaming happy dreams. I always thought Frances would approve!

)

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 2:25 pm

oolala53 wrote:Not having children, I had never heard of this book before. It sounds great!

I have children and never heard of these books. And we're all book lovers.

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 6:48 pm

Wosnes, I work with a gal who is about the same age as your daughters (I think - mid 20's?) and hadn't heard of Frances either. I actually don't think I read them to my children, the oldest of whom is 23; the only reason I know of them is that they were read to me as a child.

I've been enjoying my cream cheese on rye sandwiches the last few days. Yesterday, I even had a hard boiled egg. I wish I had bought an egg with today's lunch. I too like to eat three things and the sandwich (with roasted red peppers) and peach felt a little ... short.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:14 pm

Blithe Morning wrote:Wosnes, I work with a gal who is about the same age as your daughters (I think - mid 20's?) and hadn't heard of Frances either. I actually don't think I read them to my children, the oldest of whom is 23; the only reason I know of them is that they were read to me as a child.

Mine are a little older -- 29 and 31. But I saw that some of the books were written before they were born. Since we always had a ton of books, I'm surprised I missed those.