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healingtothemax's review
4.0
An all-ages, charming gem found at BEA. At the signing table, the writers said the finished version will include a glossary: "Huzzah!" There's much vocabulary expanding fun to be gleaned from Pip, the "big cheese" mouse of the Cheshire Inn house. I also hope the whimsical typography is adopted to more chapters, it was visually intriguing and enhanced the fanciful aspects of this unique adventure. This book and its delicate pencil illustrations reminded me of the classic YA book, "A Cricket in Times Square," when a specific place and time is captured through a remarkable story about friendship. Seek out CHESHIRE and savor it, then share it with others... just like good books should be.
wildflowerz76's review
4.0
I'm reading the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl books for the coming school year with my daughter this summer and this is one of them.
Don't you love it when a book surprises you? I don't generally like books from the POV of an animal. Generally. They usually bore me to tears. So I wasn't looking forward to reading this one. But I loved it! It takes place in England, so it's got that going for it. It features famous writers that I like, so there's also that. I was cool to see all the Dickens references that most kids aren't going to get. I liked this one quite a bit!
Don't you love it when a book surprises you? I don't generally like books from the POV of an animal. Generally. They usually bore me to tears. So I wasn't looking forward to reading this one. But I loved it! It takes place in England, so it's got that going for it. It features famous writers that I like, so there's also that. I was cool to see all the Dickens references that most kids aren't going to get. I liked this one quite a bit!
abigailbat's review
4.0
A charming story brought to life by Katherine Kellgren's excellent narration. This is a great family listen as it will appeal to a wide range of ages and adults will catch the many Dickensian references that might go over the heads of the kids. Highly recommended!
ksd1441's review
4.0
Anybody else want some really good cheese after reading this book?
For a rather simple book about a cat and mouse (and cheese), I thought this was very smart and excellent for its intended age group. Excellent for older ages, too, because I obviously liked it. The writing stood apart from similarly themed offerings and the story itself had a good lesson. The reader for the audiobook was spectacular, which I'm always glad to find. Deedy's style reminded me of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events -- teaching readers new vocabulary and proper grammar alongside telling an attention-grabbing story. Plus, it was a cute display of friendship and accepting our differences. The little bit with Dickens thrown in here and there wasn't my favorite, but it was still fun. "He was the best of toms. He was the worst of toms."
But it always comes back to the cheese. Still need that gourmet cheese.
My cat loves cheese, too.
For a rather simple book about a cat and mouse (and cheese), I thought this was very smart and excellent for its intended age group. Excellent for older ages, too, because I obviously liked it. The writing stood apart from similarly themed offerings and the story itself had a good lesson. The reader for the audiobook was spectacular, which I'm always glad to find. Deedy's style reminded me of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events -- teaching readers new vocabulary and proper grammar alongside telling an attention-grabbing story. Plus, it was a cute display of friendship and accepting our differences. The little bit with Dickens thrown in here and there wasn't my favorite, but it was still fun. "He was the best of toms. He was the worst of toms."
But it always comes back to the cheese. Still need that gourmet cheese.
My cat loves cheese, too.
jessalynn_librarian's review
4.0
I listened to this one, as read by the incomparable Katherine Kellgren. It's full of nods to the works of Charles Dickens, and he features as a character in the story, but they're more extras than essential to enjoying this fun story of a cheese-loving cat and a band of mice. Fun, and especially recommended to fans of stories told from the perspective of animal characters.
Source: my public library
Source: my public library
raciethereader's review
5.0
This book has surprisingly advanced vocabulary so if you have a young reader with advanced reading skills this is an excellent choice. There is a decent balance of action and historical/literary context. We all enjoyed it greatly.
eupomene's review
3.0
Sweet story of an unusual friendship, a Tower raven gone missing, Charles Dickens with writer's block, and...cheese.
tami_provencher's review
4.0
The subtitle "A Dickens of a Tale" is what actually caught my eye. A longtime fan of the work of Charles Dickens I was intrigued by the inclusion of his name in the title. The historical figure of Charles Dickens does appear in The Cheshire Cheese Cat as a minor character with a few pivotal interventions in the plot. I am not convinced that his character will resonate with young readers--but his is the only exception among all the other characters in the story.
The main characters are actually a cat named Skilley and a mouse named Pip. The Cheshire Cheese Inn is widely acknowledged in 19th Century London as producing the best cheese in the world. Skilley, tired of living in alleys and dodging the angry swats of brooms, is also hiding a secret which draws him to The Cheshire Cheese Inn. Once he is allowed to take up residence there he encounters Pip, a mouse with secrets of his own.
The Cheshire Cheese Cat is a remarkable story of friendship--its challenges and its rewards. The characters are surprisingly well-developed alongside their realistic animal characteristics. A difficult accomplishment with animal characters in a novel, Deedy weaves self-discovery, adventure and mystery sprinkled with occasional doses of humor masterfully throughout Skilley and Pip's story.
This is a fantastic independent read for kids who are graduating from shorter, simpler chapter books to larger formats, higher vocabulary and more complex story structures. For the same reasons it is an excellent read-aloud toward the end of 2nd Grade all the way through elementary school. Although I probably wouldn't use it as a read-aloud in middle school it is still a great independent choice for all ages.
I am usually not a huge fan of animal-themed novels and I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I love an unexpectedly great story and The Cheshire Cheese Cat is a masterful example!
The main characters are actually a cat named Skilley and a mouse named Pip. The Cheshire Cheese Inn is widely acknowledged in 19th Century London as producing the best cheese in the world. Skilley, tired of living in alleys and dodging the angry swats of brooms, is also hiding a secret which draws him to The Cheshire Cheese Inn. Once he is allowed to take up residence there he encounters Pip, a mouse with secrets of his own.
The Cheshire Cheese Cat is a remarkable story of friendship--its challenges and its rewards. The characters are surprisingly well-developed alongside their realistic animal characteristics. A difficult accomplishment with animal characters in a novel, Deedy weaves self-discovery, adventure and mystery sprinkled with occasional doses of humor masterfully throughout Skilley and Pip's story.
This is a fantastic independent read for kids who are graduating from shorter, simpler chapter books to larger formats, higher vocabulary and more complex story structures. For the same reasons it is an excellent read-aloud toward the end of 2nd Grade all the way through elementary school. Although I probably wouldn't use it as a read-aloud in middle school it is still a great independent choice for all ages.
I am usually not a huge fan of animal-themed novels and I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I love an unexpectedly great story and The Cheshire Cheese Cat is a masterful example!