'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Friday 5 December 2014

Review: I Don't Like Cheese

Mike is a little grey mouse who lives inside a mouse hole in the dining room wall of the Walker family home. Mike sounds like a normal, ordinary mouse, right? Well he is, except for one thing:

Mike doesn’t like cheese!

Mike’s mother tries to get him to eat cheese, but he won’t even try it. Instead, he waits each night for special international food treats from Ashley, the little girl who lives in the house. When Ashley goes on holidays, Mike doesn’t know what to do. What will he eat if Ashley isn’t home to share her delicious dinners with him?

I Don’t Like Cheese is an enjoyable story that highlights the familiar fussy eater complaints of some children. Light-hearted and entertaining, it introduces young readers to some common international dishes such as sushi, tacos, crème brûlée and gelato. Along the way, they might also discover that some foods can be surprisingly delicious if you just take the time to try them.

I Don’t Like Cheese is the debut picture book for 12-year-old Australian author Hannah Chandler. We interviewed Hannah and her friend Jordan Daly during our Children’s Week celebration last year. Hannah and Jordan wrote and illustrated the first draft of I Don’t Like Cheese as part of an extension project for school. Just over a year later, the delightful story is now published, with illustrations by Lauren Merrick, and Hannah already has plans for more stories underway.

You can hear more about Hannah and her publishing journey in this interview with Jill Emberson on ABC 1233 Newcastle radio.

It’s quite exciting to see talented young authors achieving success and Hannah’s I Don't Like Cheese is an impressive first milestone in her writing career. I’m looking forward to reading more wonderful stories from Hannah in the future.

Title: I Don't Like Cheese
Author: Hannah Chandler
Illustrator: Lauren Merrick
Publisher: EK Books, $19.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 December 2014
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781921966668
For ages: 4 - 7
Type: Picture Book