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Cheese Belongs to You


Cheese Belongs to You
by Alexis Deacon, illustrated by Viviane Schwartz
Candlewick, 2013.  Unpaged.  Picture Book

     A young rat strolls across the bottom of the page and encounters, Happy Day!, and enormous piece of cheese.  "THIS IS RAT LAW:  Cheese belongs to YOU."  Unless . . . and a multitude of exceptions follow.  If a big rat wants the cheese it belongs to him, and if an even bigger rat wants the cheese, it belongs to her.  But if a quicker rat wants the cheese he can snatch it away and it belongs to him. Thus proceeds this hilarious picture book from rat to rat until everyone wants the cheese and a brawl ensues.  When everyone but the original mouse is down for the count, ". . . cheese belongs to you again . . . if you still want it.  THAT IS RAT LAW." Justice is done, but mercy is also rendered, as our original little mouse chooses to share.  What a scream, in more ways than one.
     

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