The Cheese [Hardcover]

Margie Palatini (Author), Steve Johnson (Illustrator), Lou Fancher (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Why the cheese stand alone?

In this hilarious riff on the favorite nursery rhyme "The Farmer in the Dell," readers will discover what really happened to that hunk of cheddar.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3—A rat living in the dell wonders why the posted rules and regulations state that the cheese stands alone—especially when it is a tasty-looking hunk of cheddar standing uselessly in a meadow. Napkin in hand, he goes to investigate. In this reverse version of "The Farmer in the Dell," the rat is then joined by a cat, a dog, a child, a mother, and finally the farmer father, all of whom initially insist that the cheese must stand alone, and then are persuaded to consider that the rule might actually be a silly one worth challenging. The farmer decides that if they are going to eat the cheese, they might as well make a party out of it, and everyone goes to fetch apples, pears, sausages, milk, and, of course, crackers. The folk-art quality of the illustrations is rich with country colors—barn reds, field greens, and earthy yellows, and the cartoon animals are funny and expressive. A smattering of words and music from the song is worked in effectively on most pages, and the full lyrics are printed on the last page, useful since this book will no doubt be the featured star in a number of sing-alongs.—Susan Moorhead, New Rochelle Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Palatini's uproarious spoof on "The Farmer in the Dell" begins at the end of the song: the cheese stands alone. While eyeing the solitary chunk of cheddar in a field, a rat rethinks the order of things: "Give me one good reason why the cheese stands alone . . . Why should good food go to waste because of some silly song?" Dashing off for a nosh, he encounters the cat, who joins him in his trot toward the cheese. Then the dog appears, as well as the rest of the song's characters, who make a grand picnic from the towering cheese wedge. Children will easily overlook the flat ending as they delight in Palatini's raucous twist on the ubiquitous song (the original's lyrics close the book). The high-energy, mixed-media illustrations, which appear in multiple, comics-style frames on several spreads, turn up the silliness with the cast of expressive animals—the cunning rat, the airhead dog—who speak in funny, sly asides. Best for small groups, who can view the detailed pictures up close, this will be a read-aloud hit. Engberg, Gillian
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060526300
• ISBN-13: 978-0060526306
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Wow. My very first picture book -- PIGGIE PIE!, is celebrating
it's fifteenth anniversary this year! It tickles me to know that
'Gritch' is still giving giggles.
Visit her and my other characters on my website: www.margiepalatini.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A zany, fun read., August 7, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cheese (Hardcover)

Just why does the 'cheese stand alone' in the famous picturebook rhyme? Margie Palatini's THE CHEESE addresses this mystery in a whimsical manner, considering what really happened to the poor cheddar and using a series of zany drawings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher to explore it. Young picturebook readers seeking a taste of something different will find THE CHEESE a zany, fun read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cheese, November 29, 2010

By 

The Big Cheese - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cheese (Hardcover)

This book has been a GREAT reading for our entire family, especially when I throw in goofy sounding voices for the Mouse, Dog, and other characters in this fast moving story. Now we won't have to keep checking it out from our town, or school, library.
Be sure to SING ALONG at the end of the story for lots of true enjoyment, and create a GOOFY voices of your own.
"The CHEESE stands alone,
The Cheese stands alooone....."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!, November 18, 2009

By 

Samantha "dbooks" (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cheese (Hardcover)

Such a fun book to read to kids. My sons didnt like the cover and didnt want to read about an "ugly mouse". Now they know not to judge a book by its cover.