The Big Cheese (Jory John)

Title: Big Cheese

Author: Jory John 

Illustrator: Pete Oswald 

Target Ages: 6 and up

Genre: Fiction Picture Book

Summary: Big Cheese is used to being the best at everything in the village of Curdly. Whether it’s chess, high dives, or endurance, he always comes out on top—and he makes sure everyone knows it. But when a quiet, humble newcomer named Wedge wins the annual Cheese-Athlon, Big Cheese's world is turned upside down. This story follows his journey from being a boastful winner to discovering that the "greatest" thing you can be is someone who knows how to have fun and be a friend.

First Lines: “I’m the big cheese. I’m the biggest. I’m the cheesiest. I’m the… well, you get the idea.”

Memorable Moment: “I’d become so focused on winning that I was missing out on the joy of participating.”

Evaluation: Jory John masterfully tackles the topic of competitive ego in a way that is both hilarious and deeply relatable for students. The story highlights a protagonist whose entire identity is wrapped up in his "presence," "vibe," and the "energy" he emanates. This provides a perfect entry point for discussing self-worth and how it is often mistakenly tied to external achievements.

The character of Wedge is a brilliant addition, serving as a perfect literary foil to Big Cheese. While Big Cheese is loud, bold, and dominates every conversation, Wedge is quiet, shy, and keeps to himself. The author uses this stark contrast to emphasize Big Cheese’s imbalance; Wedge’s calm humility acts as a mirror that reflects Big Cheese’s exhausting need for constant validation. The turning point is "absolutely baffling" to Big Cheese, not just because he loses, but because he sees that Wedge doesn't need the spotlight to be "great."

Pete Oswald’s illustrations capture this dynamic perfectly, showing Big Cheese’s "disconcerting" journey through every emotion from "ARRGH!" to "WAHHH!" until he is finally exhausted. The shift from being a "sharp" competitor to a "mild" friend is a lesson in sportsmanship that every classroom needs.

Now, Prove It! — Theme with Evidence

Students analyze key ideas, gather supporting quotes, and use structured sentence starters to explain how the evidence proves a theme. This resource helps readers practice moving from what happens in the story to what it means. Get your copy of Now, Prove It: Big Cheese.

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Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

• Creative Writing: Wedge’s Perspective. Since the book is narrated by Big Cheese, have students write a "lost chapter" from Wedge's point of view. How did he feel during the race? What did he think of Big Cheese’s loud personality?

• Figurative Language: Identify and discuss the puns and other figurative language in the story.  

• History & Culture: The Origins of "The Big Cheese." Have students research the origin of the idiom "The Big Cheese" (it is often attributed to the Urdu word chiz, meaning "a thing"). Use this book to discuss other idioms.

• Literary Devices: The Power of the Foil. Discuss the definition of a "foil" (a character who contrasts with another character to highlight particular qualities). Have students create a T-chart comparing Big Cheese's traits (Loud, Bold, Boastful) to Wedge's traits (Quiet, Shy, Humble) to see how the contrast makes Big Cheese's imbalance more obvious.

• Physical Education: The Curdly Cheese-Athlon. Organize a "Cheese-Athlon" with non-traditional cheesy events. Focus the scoring on "Sportsmanship Points" rather than just who finished first to reinforce the book's theme.

• Science Connection: The Science of Cheese. Move outside the "Food Group" themes by exploring how cheese is actually made. Discuss the differences between "sharp" and "mild" cheeses and how the author uses these culinary terms to describe the characters' personalities.

• Social-Emotional Learning: Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset. Big Cheese starts with a fixed mindset where his worth is tied only to winning. Discuss how his shift to enjoying the "joy of participating" represents a growth mindset. How does his attitude toward Wedge change once he stops seeing him only as a rival?

• Symbolism: This book is ideal to use when teaching symbolism for all ages.  Grab my Teaching Symbolism with Picture Book Activity.

• Theme: Teach theme with this picture book: The Big Cheese.

From Childhood Comfort to Complex Characters: Teaching The Brave Little Toaster

For many of us, The Brave Little Toaster brings back instant nostalgia. We remember a group of loyal household appliances embarking on a heartfelt journey, teaching young audiences about friendship, perseverance, and belonging. It’s a story rooted in comfort — one that feels simple, familiar, and safe.

But The Brave Little Toaster didn’t stop with childhood.

Years later, Cory Doctorow reimagined the story for a new audience, transforming it into a layered, unsettling, and deeply thought-provoking short story. Doctorow’s version keeps the recognizable premise but pushes it into darker territory, asking readers to confront ideas about disposability, consumerism, and autonomy.

This shift makes The Brave Little Toaster a powerful text for middle school classrooms — especially when the instructional focus is characterization.

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Why Doctorow’s The Brave Little Toaster Works So Well for Character Analysis

Doctorow’s adaptation is deceptively complex. At first glance, students may expect the same warmth and optimism as the children’s version. Instead, they encounter characters who are:

• deeply flawed

• shaped by fear and loyalty

• driven by rigid beliefs about purpose and worth

• resistant to change, even when it harms them

This contrast creates the perfect entry point for rich character discussions. Students must look beyond surface actions and grapple with motivation, belief systems, and internal conflict.

One standout figure is Mister Toussaint, whose presence alone sparks debate. Is he practical? quick-thinking? Controlling? The text doesn’t hand students easy answers — and that’s exactly what makes it ideal for close reading and evidence-based reasoning.

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Moving Beyond “Nice” and “Mean”: Teaching Traits with Precision

One of the biggest challenges when teaching characterization is helping students move past vague labels. Words like nice, bad, or mean don’t capture the complexity of Doctorow’s characters.

That’s where Trait Detective comes in.

My Brave Little Toaster: Trait Detective resource is designed to guide students through:

• expanding common character trait vocabulary

• identifying specific, text-supported character traits

• using direct evidence to justify trait choices

• recognizing how a character’s traits shape the story’s outcome

• writing about how quote prove the character trait

Instead of guessing or choosing traits based on feelings, students must prove it — a skill that directly supports literary analysis, constructed responses, and deeper discussions.

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How the Trait Detective Resource Fits into Your Lesson Flow

This resource works beautifully:

• after a first or second close read of the story

• as a collaborative discussion activity

• as independent practice for evidence-based reasoning

• as a scaffold before extended writing or analysis paragraphs

Students act as “trait detectives,” examining dialogue, decisions, and consequences to determine which traits truly define each character. The structure encourages careful rereading and purposeful annotation — without overwhelming students.

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Building a Larger Brave Little Toaster Text Set

This resource is also meant to be part of a larger teaching conversation. The Brave Little Toaster opens the door to meaningful discussions about:

• how stories change when audiences change

• how authors adapt familiar ideas to explore new themes

• how characters can be both sympathetic and deeply flawed

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Final Thoughts

What makes Cory Doctorow’s The Brave Little Toaster so effective in the classroom is the same thing that makes it unsettling: it refuses to simplify its characters.

By pairing this story with targeted characterization tools, students learn that characters — like people — are rarely just one thing. They are shaped by fear, loyalty, belief, and circumstance.

And that realization? That’s where real literary thinking begins.

If you’re looking for a way to move students beyond surface-level traits and into meaningful analysis, the Brave Little Toaster: Trait Detective resource is a powerful place to start.

Other Resources You Might Like

Brave Little Toaster: Trait Detective

Brave Little Toaster Trait Detective Case File + Student Kit

Brave Little Toaster Vocabulary Bundle

Brave Little Toaster Escape Room

Brave Little Toaster Now, Prove It (Main Idea)

Teaching Theme with The Bad Seed: A Story About Second Chances

If you're looking for a picture book that perfectly illustrates the concept of character growth and change, look no further than Jory John's The Bad Seed. I reviewed the book in a previous post, but I want to focus on one specific way to use it in the classroom or in a home school environment.

This witty, relatable story has become a classroom favorite—and for good reason. It tackles big themes in ways that elementary students can understand and connect with personally.

Why The Bad Seed Works So Well in the Classroom

The Bad Seed tells the story of a sunflower seed who has embraced being "bad." He cuts in line, never puts things back, shows up late, and doesn't wash his hands (much to the horror of hygiene-conscious students!). But as we learn more about his story, we discover why he became this way—and more importantly, we watch him decide to change.

What Makes This Book Perfect for Teaching?

Relatable Character Struggles
Every student has felt left out, angry, or wanted to give up being "good." The seed's emotional journey from loss to bitterness to hope mirrors real experiences kids face.

Clear Character Development
The seed doesn't change overnight. He acknowledges that change is hard and that he'll keep trying, even when he messes up. This realistic portrayal of growth is powerful for young readers.

Engaging Humor
The book's deadpan humor keeps students engaged while addressing serious themes. Lines like "I cut in line. Every time" get laughs while also providing perfect evidence for analysis.

Universal Theme
The message—that it's never too late to change, even when it's difficult—resonates across age groups and backgrounds. It's both hopeful and honest.

The Challenge: Moving from Story to Theme

Here's where many teachers (myself included!) have struggled: Students LOVE The Bad Seed, they understand what happens in the story, but when asked about the theme? Blank stares.

They might say:
"It's about a seed who's bad."
"Don't cut in line."
"Wash your hands."

While these responses show comprehension, they miss the deeper lesson about change, growth, and second chances.

The problem? Students often confuse:  

• Story details (what happens) with theme (what we learn)
• Topics (being bad, changing) with complete thematic statements (It's never too late to change and become better)
• Literal lessons (wash your hands) with life lessons (personal growth takes effort)

A Resource to Bridge the Gap

That's exactly why I created Now, Prove It: The Bad Seed Edition—to give teachers a concrete, step-by-step way to move students from "I liked the story" to "I can identify and explain the theme with evidence."

How It Works
The resource uses a two-part approach:
Part 1: Now, Prove It (Evidence Matching)
Students match specific quotes from the story to four key ideas.

This builds their understanding of how specific details support bigger ideas. They practice distinguishing relevant evidence from distractors (quotes that are from the story but don't prove any key idea).

Part 2: Now, Explain It (Theme Analysis)
Students examine four possible themes and must choose the one that best fits the story. Options are provided.

Using guided questions and sentence starters, students explain their choice with evidence from the text.

What's Included

• Everything you need to teach this lesson successfully:
• Clear definitions of theme, key ideas, and supporting details
• Step-by-step student worksheets
• Multiple versions for differentiation (compact and extended)
• Sentence starters for struggling writers
• Answer keys
• Discussion questions
• Model responses

The Four Questions That Unlock Theme
The resource centers on four essential questions that guide students to theme:

• What is the main character's problem?
• What does the character do about the problem?
• What does the character learn?
• What can WE learn from this story?

These questions build naturally from concrete story events to abstract life lessons—exactly the progression elementary students need.

Why This Approach Works

It's Scaffolded
Students start with specific quotes (concrete), connect them to key ideas (bridge), and finally identify the theme (abstract). This gradual release makes theme accessible.

It Teaches Critical Thinking
By analyzing distractor themes, students learn to evaluate which theme BEST fits the story—not just which one is mentioned.

It Includes Built-In Differentiation
Sentence starters, multiple worksheet versions, and discussion supports mean all learners can access the content.

It's Reusable
Once students understand this framework, they can apply it to any story. The structure transfers beautifully to other texts.

Bringing It All Together

The Bad Seed is more than just a funny book about a grumpy seed. It's a story about resilience, growth, and the courage it takes to change. It shows students that we all struggle, we all make mistakes, and—most importantly—we can all choose to try again.

When we give students the tools to analyze this story deeply, we're not just teaching them about theme. We're helping them see themselves in literature and understand that stories can teach us about life.

Ready to teach theme with The Bad Seed?

Click on the Link: Now, Prove It Picture Book Edition The Bad Seed

This resource has been carefully designed to take the guesswork out of teaching theme while engaging students with a story they love. Whether you're introducing theme for the first time or reinforcing it with students who still struggle, this complete teaching system will transform your instruction.

Have you used The Bad Seed in your classroom? What other picture books do you love for teaching theme? Share your favorites in the comments below!