Deacon, Alexis. Cheese Belongs to You! Viviane Schwarz, Illus. Pic. Bk. Candlewick, 2013. 29p. $15.99. 978-0-7636-6608-8. OUTSTANDING. GRADES PRE-1.
This is rat law: Cheese belongs to you, Unless… unless is where the story unfolds. There is always somebody else who wants that piece of cheese, and they can be bigger, or meaner, or faster than you. When the story appears as if it is going to close with a disturbing battlefield filled with injured and unconscious rats, it turns around and ends on an amusing note that shows the goodness of sharing. The delightful story contains red and black hairy rats, some with hats, and others with eye patches, and insects crawling all over them. The cheese is a deliciously large photo of a chunk of yellow Swiss cheese. This will be a hit with storytimes and families.
David Howd, Berkeley PL