Really, cheese day?
Cheesemaking has been around since ancient times as it is said to have started all the way back in 8,000 BC. At present, cheese has made its presence known in almost every corner of the world as it can be served frosty, sweet, savoury, or even deep-fried.
Travellers from Asia are believed to have brought the art of cheesemaking to Europe. In fact, cheese was made in many parts of the Roman Empire when it was at its height. The Romans, in turn, introduced cheesemaking to England. During the Middle Ages-from the decline of the Roman Empire until the discovery of America-cheese was made and improved by the monks in the monasteries of Europe. For example, Gorgonzola was made in the Po Valley in Italy in 879 A.D., and Italy became the cheesemaking centre of Europe during the 10th Century. Roquefort was also mentioned in the ancient records of the monastery at Conques, France as early as 1070.
Can we celebrate cheese by reading picture books? Of course. These books feature cheese...
Some information books:
• From Cow to Cheese by Penelope Nelson
• Milk and Cheese by Nancy Dickmann
Some picture books:
• I Don't Like Cheese by Hannah Chandler and Lauren Merrick
• Dinosaurs Love Cheese by Jackie French and Nina Rycroft
• Mack and the Missing Cheese by Chae Strathie and Nikki Dyson
• The Great Cheese Robbery by Tim Warnes
• Horace and Morris Say Cheese by James Howe and Amy Walrod
• Cheese Belongs to You by Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwarz
• Supermouse and the Big Cheese Robbery by M.N. Tahl and Mark Chambers
• The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Some short novels:
• Hamster and Cheese by Colleen Venable (book 1 in a fun series of graphic novels.
• Princess Pulveriser Grilled Cheese and Dragons by Nancy Krulik and Ben Balistreri
• Toto the Ninja Cat and the Incredible Cheese Heist by Dermot O'Leary and Nick East
• Geronimo Stilton The Mysterious Cheese Thief There are references to cheese through all the Geronimo Stilton tiles)
