The Monarch Award:
Illinois' K-3 Children's Choice Award
2010 Master List
Sponsored by the
Illinois School Library Media Association


2010 Nominee: The Cheese

The rat talks everyone in to having a picnic and eating the lonely cheese.

Author: Margie Palatini

Illustrator: Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher

Book Activities
  • Discussion questions: Predict what the story will be about from the cover? What is a dell? What do rats eat? Will the farmer allow everyone to eat the cheese? Read the rules at the beginning of the book. Why did the cheese stand alone? What is your favorite kind of cheese?
  • Reading: Find the words in pictures. Point out words like scurrying, sneaking, and nosh. Read nursery rhymes and have children fill in the rhyming word or act out the rhyme. Metaphors such as "the dog was a bother." Point out the humor in the story: The dog's empty thought bubbles, "Wait until your father gets home." etc.
  • Writing: Write another verse for the song adding another farm animal. Or pick another song or nursery rhyme and write a new version of the story. Tell the story from the point of view of the cheese.
  • Science: What are the steps to make cheese?
  • Social Studies: Study dairy farming.
  • Math: Count the number of characters and divide the cheese into different numbers of cubes How many would each character get for each number? List all the kids of cheese. Graph kids favorite cheeses.
  • Cooking/Snack: Have kids bring in samples of different cheeses for a tasting party. Vote on your favorite flavor.
  • Art/Drama: At the author's website there is a reader's theater of The Cheese. Make a picture with hidden words in the picture.
  • Music/Movement: Sing or play the song while acting out the story.
  • Technology integration: Using Kidspiration, make a picture of the people and animals in the story including the cheese. Video tape the class singing and/or acting out the song/story.
  • Compare to Monarch books: Compare to collages in A Day with No Crayons and My Dog Is as Smelly as Dirty Socks.

Related Books
  • Books by Margie Palatini:
  • Three French Hens
  • Mary Had a Little Ham
  • Goldie is Mad
  • Piggie Pie
  • Moo Who?
  • The The Bad Boys Series.
  • Three Silly Billies
  • Oink!
    Related Books:
  • Farmer in the Dell (Wallner)
  • I’m Still Here in the Bathtub: Brand New Silly Dilly Songs (Katz)
  • Big Cheese for the White House (Fleming)
  • Stinky Cheese Man (Scieszka)
  • Say “Cheese” (Giff)
  • King, the mice and the cheese (Gurney)

Websites

Monarch Home
      2010 Nominee Resources