One hot summer in Itching Down,
Four million wasps flew into town.
They drove the picnickers away,
They chased the farmers from their hay,
They stung Lord Swell on fit fat bald pate,
They dived and hummed and buzzed and ate,
And the noisy, nasty nuisance grew
Till the villagers cried, "What can we do?"

One hot summer in Itching Down, Four million wasps flew into town. The poor townspeople try everything, but it soon seems as though the menacing swarm will completely overrun Itching Down. That is until the baker comes up with an extraordinary plan to rid the town of wasps, once and for all...

The audio CD includes an unabridged dramatic reading with lively music and sound effects.

Review

"Originally published in 1972, The Giant Jam Sandwich has become one of the classics of children's books. Four million wasps descend upon a small country village—can you imagine?! What on earth can be done to save the town? The charm of this story is that the villagers think of a very ridiculous, very impossible solution just as young children would. Why not make a giant jam sandwich, which is exactly what the wasps would find scrumptious, and then trap them as they sit eating to their hearts' delight. The village comes together as the wheels are put in motion from the baking of the bread to the spreading of the jam. Ending in a very satisfying way, children think the world of how the entire affair was handled. Read by George Capaccio with the flourishes in all the right places, the story comes alive with the CD. Told in rhyme and offered with page-turn signals and without, this is a book and CD combo that will be a hit in any kindergarten through third grade classroom. This book may have some years on it but children are not yet done with this book by any means!" Reviewer: Joan Kindig, Ph.D. - Children's Literature