Spencer Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese? is a bestselling book that has helped millions of people around the world adapt and succeed in changing times. Now Dr. Johnson has adapted his story for the picture book audience so that, starting from the earliest age, children can view change as a positive thing that can lead to new opportunity. Young readers will enjoy following the story of the four little characters, Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw, who make their way through a maze looking for the "Magical Cheese" that makes them happy. And once they find the Cheese, it seems like it will last forever-until one morning when everything changes. Who moved their Cheese? Will it come back? Or will they have to look for different Cheese, venturing onto strange paths, around corners they've never explored? As children follow these friends through the maze of change, they can try to figure out which character they're most like-or which they most admire-and what their own Magical Cheese might be.
Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Patrick Spencer Johnson was an American writer. He was known for the ValueTales series of children's books, and for his 1998 self-help book Who Moved My Cheese?, which recurred on the New York Times Bestseller list, on the Publishers Weekly Hardcover nonfiction list. Johnson was the chairman of Spencer Johnson Partners.
The book does have a good lesson. However, it's a bit preachy, and most kids do not appreciate that in their books. I also wasn't happy with the way that the mice where characterized. The athletic, quick mice were the "good" ones who were able to adapt and find new cheese. The bookish mice, who dreamed of getting good grades, were the stubborn ones who were unable to handle change well. It might be subtle, but we really don't need to be telling kids that enjoying books and education won't get you far in life.
I didn’t care for it much, for kids. Interestingly I think I got more out of it than my students. They got really squirmy about 3/4 of the way through. And its a rather long book. I’d break it into two parts with a discussion about what it means after each. I am a hem-er and haw-er for sure. I don’t think the book will help me think differently at my age. Maybe it would inspire some kids.
See my review on Who Moved My Cheese. The concepts taught are basically identical, except this book tells the story with a more efficient use of words to make the point and has prettier pictures.