The Big Cheese

The Food Group #7

by Jory John, Pete Oswald (Illustrator)

The Big Cheese is the best at everything, and brags about it, too. When the annual Cheese-cathlon comes around, the Big Cheese is prepared to win, as always. But what happens when the quiet new kid, Wedge Wedgeman, comes out on top? Is a slice of humility all the Big Cheese needs to discover that some things are better than being the best?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Food, Fiction, Humor, Storytime, Fantasy

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2023

About the author

Jory John is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor recipient.

Jory's work includes the #1 New York Times bestselling picture book, The Good Egg, and the #2 New York Times bestselling picture book, The Bad Seed, both illustrated by Pete Oswald. He is also the author of the popular picture books, Penguin Problems and Giraffe Problems, both illustrated by Lane Smith, the award-winning Goodnight Already! series, illustrated by Benji Davies, the New York Times bestselling Terrible Two series, the recent picture books Quit Calling Me a Monster! (with Bob Shea), Can Somebody Please Scratch My Back? (with Liz Climo), and the international bestseller, All my friends are dead, among many other books for both children and adults.

Reviews

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

چند وقتی هست که هرازگاهی کتاب کودک میخونم. این از وقتی شروع شد که با پایه‌ترین رفیقم رفتم کتاب‌فروشی و من رو کشوند قسمت کتاب‌‌های کودک و یکی از بامزه‌ترین کتاب‌هایی که خودش هم دوستش داشته رو واسم خوند و هم خندیدم و کلی کیف کردم. خلاصه که فعلا وسط خستگی و بی‌حوصلگی، این کتاب‌هارو خوندن کلی میچسبه و یه استراحت حساب میشه. میشه یه مجموعه هم درست کرد از باحال‌ها که بعداً به بچه‌هامون بدیم بخونن و حال کنن

داستان از چه قراره؟ یه پنیر بزرگ هست که از همه قوی‌تره و توی همه چیز اوله و خیلی به خودش میباله که انقدر خفنه؛ تو همه‌ی مسابقات اول میشه و عملاً همتایی نداره. منتهی این بی‌رقیب بودنش کم‌کم از بین میره. وقتی که یه موجود جدید دیگه پیداش میشه که در عین ساکت و آروم بودن انقدر خفنه که تو همه مسابقات پنیر گنده رو شکست میده و خیلی هم بدون غرور و آب و تاب این کار رو انجام میده‌. همین شکست خوردن‌های متوالی باعث میشه پنیر گنده بفهمه که تو همه چیز برتر نیست و کم‌کم درک می‌کنه شکست و اول نشدن هم جزوی از زندگی هست و لزومی نداره همیشه اول شد یا همیشه دنبال برنده بودن بود. چون کسی که همیشه دنبال برنده بودنه، نه‌تنها شخصیت نچسبی پیدا می‌کنه، بلکه آدم‌هارو به دو گروه برنده و بازنده تقسیم می‌کنه و احتمالا آنچنان لذتی هم از انجام دادن کارها نبره‌.

در کل نکته‌ی باحالیه و خیلی ساده گفته شده و با اینکه نمیشه نسخه کلی پیچید، ولی به‌‌نظرم بد نیست بچه‌ها بفهمن که نیازی نیست همیشه برنده باشن.

خوب می‌بود اگه یکی این کتاب رو واسه دانالد ترامپ تو بچگی می‌خوند تا یکم از خودگوزپنداریش کم بشه

مرسی از معرفی و همراهی قشنگت، پایه‌ترینم.

[Michelle Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit cheesy, but I liked it.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really want to make a buzzfeed quiz about which Food Group character you are, with maybe a percentage breakdown.

All in all, another amusing, cute picture book that has a good message about tempering ego with humility.

[Payam Ebrahimi · Rating 1 out of 5]

جلد هفتم از مجموعه‌ای که حتی یک جلدش هم «خیلی خوب» نیست و واقعاً خدا بده شانس. الکی الکی بنویسی و هارپرکالینز تپ‌تپ چاپ کنه …

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love picture books and haven't yet discovered Jory John's and Pete Oswald's Food Group series you have been missing out. I've loved each one that I've read for their delightful illustrations and clever word use. This addition to the series follows The Big Cheese as he likes to call himself as he demonstrates his excellence. He brags about his skills and the prizes that he's won as he points out how he never tries anything new as that might lead to failure. Things change though when Wedge Wedgeman shows up and bests The Big Cheese at all the events of the Cheese-Cathlon. He is left stunned and alone, lying on his side in the mud. At this point he has a choice: wallow in his failure or pick himself up and go on his merry way. I loved how he chose to allow his failure to humble him into changing his ways. As in the other books in the series, the authors use clever idioms and word play to highlight emotional and mental health as well as relationship building. Another great book for enjoying but also great for teaching and talking to children about winning, losing, and the importance of humility in friendship. The Big Cheese is a winner after all.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A newly released addition to Jory John’s and Pete Oswald’s amazing Food Group series.

The illustrations are cute. The text is clever. There are (as usual) food puns for any adult reading along with a child.

The Big cheese always wins! He’s proud, he brags, he shows off, he likes being in the spotlight. Sticking with what he’s good at, he never tries anything new because that might mean… possible failure. Then at the annual Cheese-Cathlon, The Big Cheese is ready to win every trophy just as he has for the past six years.

There is a new guy named Wedge who is the opposite to The Big Cheese. He is quiet, shy, humble, and skilled! He manages to win every competition, leaving a stunned Big Cheese in the muck.

The Big Cheese picks himself up, and actually feels relief. On the way home he sees Wedge. They have a fascinating conversation. Cheese thinks to himself “A conversation that wasn’t about me. Huh.” Big Cheese learns some valuable life lessons and takes on some new hobbies. He’s trying to better himself and has the best time “mostly bragging about (his) friends.”

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series is charming and humorous. The illustrations are super cute and the lesson is always worthwhile. This one is about competition and always needing to be the best. Big Cheese is an insufferable braggart but learns how to lose graciously and just enjoy activities without needing to win. Everyone will recognize themselves in these characters. I'm a Sour Grape. Lol!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the cute characters, especially the message of how to be humble and be a "good loser"

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to reinforce Ego out of balance to my students. Thank you Sean for getting me this from the book fair. (Hey followers, sorry bout this just really want to meet my reading goal so I’m doing picture books from school)

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

ages 4-8

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, this is happening. Get ready for kids books to overwhelm your feed.

This was okay, I wish Wedge had gotten more character development.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the majority of these food group books, so cute with a thoughtful lesson. I liked the repetitive lines the big cheese! And the way it’s written is very entertaining especially to read out loud.

[Carlotta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Big Cheese is a picture book designed for 5-6 year olds. I am 8 but I still enjoyed it. It was about a cheese who was very focused on winning. In the end he realised that winning is not the best part of the competition. The best part was participating and just having fun. This book had some great new words in it: inexplicably, Gouda, Gorgonzola Brie, pasteurisation, pre-occupied and Cheese-Cathlon. My favourite sentence is: Say it with me please, the Big Cheese!

If you have read this book and like it, I'd recommend reading the others by Jory John.

Do yourself a favour and read this book today!

[Karrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the food series, cute story, nice message. I just feel like the nuances like hidden jokes in the illustrations and wordplay from the first few are missing here.

[Grace Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition by Jory John. The vocabulary used in this book was spectacular. And, the encouragement and message was something that our students can use.

[Élise Massé · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'adore cette série de livre. Les sujets traités sont super bien amenés, les jeux de mots sont amusants et la morale est pertinente. Et les illustrations sont cute. Dans celui ci, on parle d'égo et d'humilité. Parce qu'on connaît tous quelqu'un qui pense que le monde tourne autour de lui, qui prend toute la place et se met beaucoup de pression pour être le meilleur. C'est un beau rappel même pour un adulte de lâcher prise et d'accepter qu'on ne peut pas que cumuler des réussites dans la vie. Que c'est dans les échecs qu'il est possible de se remettre en question et d'évoluer en tant qu'humain 🧡

[Trish Banda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book with a good lesson 👍🏾

[VIVI ★ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is very cute but not as much as the others in the series. I've felt they had more to teach.

[Daisy Luscre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aunt Maria read this at story time at the park!

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m counting every book I read this year, including my niece’s.
Extremely compelling.

[MAYA QUARTZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be fair it could just be because they LOVE cheese soooo much … but my four year old has been making us read this every night for two entire weeks 🥲

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A "big cheese" with an ego to match learns that life isn't all about boasting and lording your winnings over everyone else. In fact, we can choose to celebrate others' accomplishments and have humility about our own, which is what the Big Cheese learns by the end of this story.

[PB · Rating 3 out of 5]

The moral of the story is humility and cheering for other people. Although this was probably one if not my least favorite of The Food Group series, simply because The Big Cheese was not endearing and there aren't a lot of funny scenes/puns as is usual.. there was maybe one?

Not sure if this is the last of the series but I thought The Food Group poster included in the back of the dust jacket of the Barnes & Noble exclusive edition is cute, illustrating all the main characters in the series so far!

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jory John may be one of my favorite current kids book authors, but for some reason The Big Cheese didn’t land as well as the rest of his Food Group titles. It’s still cute and teaches a lesson to your kids, so I recommend giving it a chance, but as the 7th installation in the series I finally felt like this one was a little redundant.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Big Cheese is always the best, but when a new cheese bests him, it's time to think about how important being the best is. A good lesson told in the John/Oswald funny way, but a bit more didactic than others. You can always try something new, and you don't have to be good at it. Some good cheese puns that had me actually laughing out loud but not my favorite in the series.

[Allie Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

As absolutely WONDERFUL as the messages are within these books, it is WAY too wordy for children reading or being read to in picture book form. I loved the Bad Seed, but with every new book, the word count goes up.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'd become so focused on winning that I was missing out on the joy of participating."
The Big Cheese realizes he can have more humility, empathy, and brag about his friends too instead of being self-absorbed and fixated on winning at all costs.

[Caren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic! I wish I was still a librarian so that I could read it to kids. ❤️

[MeganRuth - Alohamora Open a Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, but pretty long, read that reminds readers winning isn’t everything.

[Dolly Parton with a Gun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply compelling message