No one ever said life was easy. Tone Provolone and Cheddar Chessman can attest to that. Their struggling shop – the Cheese-Ah-Breeze – is starved for customers and tormented by the stinking-rich Limburger, the big cheese of the town and their biggest rival. They seem destined for failure, until they encounter Vinnie Gouda, a young mouse looking to belong; Mrs. Asiago, a shabby old mouse with a heart of gold; Swiss Never Miss, a teen mouse with the perfect aim; and Fontina Dante, who’s in search of leisurely travel, but finds a hunk – and it’s not cheese – that melts her heart.
This new motley crew of characters slowly turns their lives around for the better. But they shouldn’t celebrate just yet, because something is rotten just outside their town of Cheeseton, Wisconsin. It lurks in the darkness, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
From the storyteller who brought us The Birth of Agent Big Butt: Butt of Steel, Heart of Gold comes another heart-warming classic, a delectable, cheese-filled tale ripe with adventure, mystery, and lessons on the power of friendship.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Best friends (and mice) Cheddar Chessman and Tone Provolone own a cheese shop that’s on its last legs. But things start to turn around after a dangerous encounter proves their mettle, and soon they’re playing a central role in saving their town from certain disaster.
Prose: The setting is delightful and skillfully done, with plenty of entertaining snippets that will please middle grade readers. The author interjects fun names and descriptions that give this novel serious appeal.
Originality: There are some familiar elements in Winfield’s story, but the setting and amusing characters elevate this beyond the expected. The small touches—such as the sound the telephone makes in the cheese shop, or the mouse code that dictates the mice’s behaviors—are a perfect fit for the audience.
Character/Execution: Winfield’s characters are charming, each with a unique (and humorous) name that fits the story’s premise. They transform through shared hardships and well-earned wins, and their experiences highlight many important themes.
Date Submitted: August 24, 2023
"Taking place in Cheeston, a town inhabited by a mice society, Not Yo Cheeze by Amy Winfield is an exhilaratingly fun piece of middle grade fiction. Tone Provolone and Cheddar Chessman's cheese shop, inherited from their fathers, is almost always empty, but a new catering contract with the powerful Donna Parmesan could finally be their chance to succeed. As the names and clever set-up might suggest, Winfield loves to play with language, and with some added life lessons about standing up for yourself, this is a lighthearted but meaningful read that is perfectly crafted for young readers, which rivals other famous mice in fiction." Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★★
"A charming peek into the honorable lives of mice, Not Yo Cheeze by Amy Winfield is a thoroughly amusing tale of sticking up for friends and standing up to bullies. Two beleaguered cheesemongers struggle to keep up with their dishonest competitors, while dodging feline assassins and the pungent sting of stinky foreign cheese. Layered with wordplay, clever twists, and a colorful cast of miniature heroes, the delectable pairing of Cheddar and Tone Provolone are just the tip of this entertaining read. Whether it's mentoring misguided mice or finding the courage to fight against impossible odds, this is a whimsical but thematically powerful book for younger readers." The Independent Review of Books, ★★★★★
