GUESS WHAT TODAY IS??
IT'S NATIONAL CHEESE DAY
Scroll to bottom to watch how cheese is made!
We're going to take some time to celebrate one of America's favorite foods. So grab your cheese knife and pay homage to the glory of this dairy product with your family and some of these books!
Our first book is tale of a miraculous, odorous cheese that is stolen under the noses of the Farmers in the Dell. They call on the intelligent Sherlock Bones, who uses his senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing to track down the thief. Along the way he visits the Muffin Man and the Giant. Who do you think stole the cheese? There's only one way to find out! Come visit us and help Sherlock Bones solve the mystery!
Book Level: 2.3
AR Points: 0.5
Did you know? There are around 2,000 kinds of cheese! The most popular one in America is "Macaroni and Cheese". [Facts courtesy of the International Dairy Foods Association]
In this folktale, we have cheese at the heart of the matter. As two cats argue over how to split up their prized find evenly, a nearby monkey offers to help. Little do these cats know that they are about to be duped! After most of their cheese has mysteriously disappeared, they still continue to suspect the other of having more cheese. This story shows a lesson in sharing. Sometimes it's not how much you get, but just that you shared with a friend that matters. Otherwise, you might have a clever monkey come and steal all your cheese while you argue!
Book Level: 2.7
AR Points: 0.5
Cheesy Joke
Q: Did you hear about the cheese that failed to medal at the Olympics?
A: It fell at the final curdle!
Let's get cooking! This book is a great way to introduce your children to working in the kitchen. It goes through kitchen safety, cooking tools and utensils, and how to measure ingredients. It also gives you some fun facts about cheese! But now to the fun part, the recipes! They start out simple and progressively get more difficult. You can learn how to make homemade cheesy mac, creamy cheese dip, Italian cheese bites, nutty cheese nibbler, fancy grilled cheese, fried cheese fritters, cheeselicious chowder, and cheddar crispies. Happy cooking!
Did you know? Cheese can be made from cow, buffalo, goat, horse, and even camel milk!
Join Remy on his adventure from the garbage..I mean food taster..in his rat family, to owning his very own restaurant! He gets separated from his family and finds his way to Paris, befriending a struggling chef named Linguini. The two of them become partners and crime and even impress the most intimidating food critic in all of Paris!
Book Level: 1.7
AR Points: 0.5
Cheesy Joke
Q: When should you keep an eye on your cheese?
A: When it's up to no Gouda!
Scieszk and Smith's book is a satirical take on many of the classic fairy tales we grew up with as children. It's a book gone topsy turvy with Jack the Narrator who tries to tame the Giant who is tired of being tricked every time Jack and the Bean Stalk is told. Little Red Riding Hood becomes Little Red Running Shorts. The classic tales Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin combine to become Cinderumpelstiltskin. And there's of course, the timeless classic, The Stinky Cheese Man filling in for The Gingerbread Man! This is not your typical read, but it will keep you guessing the whole way through!
Book Level: 3.4
AR Points: 0.5
Did you know? It takes about 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese. Imagine how much milk would go to waste if it weren't for the wonderful creation of delicious cheese!!
We have come full circle back the Dell and all of its inhabitants. The rat just doesn't see why the cheese should stand alone just because of a silly song. It looks lonely! As he is sneaking his way to nibble the cheese, he runs into his cohorts: the cat, the dog, the child, the mom, the cow, and the farmer. The cheese just sounds so tempting and all their stomachs are growling...but the the song says to leave the cheese alone! Want to know what happens? Come check The Cheese out from the library and discover the fate of our struggling friends!
Book Level: 2.7
AR Points: 0.5
HAPPY NATIONAL CHEESE DAY
Enjoy this video about cheesemaking on both a farm and a factory!