UW–Madison alumnae Susan Apps-Bodilly and Renée Graef have teamed up to create a new children’s book that takes readers on an entertaining A-to-Z journey through the delicious world of Wisconsin cheese.

Published in August by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, “The ABCs of Wisconsin Cheese” explores the stories and makers behind the food that has made Wisconsin famous, one letter at a time. From family-owned dairy farms to award-winning cheese varieties produced across the state, the picture book introduces young readers to Wisconsin’s rich, cheese-making traditions in a fun and accessible way.

Apps-Bodilly, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, is the book’s author and retired elementary and middle-school educator. She also wrote “One Room Schools” and “Seeds in Soil” and coauthored, with Jerry Apps, “Timber!” “Old Farm Country Cookbook,” and “Old Farm Country Christmas,” all published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Graef, who illustrated the book, is an award-winning artist whose work appears in more than 80 books for children. Her many credits include the Kirsten series in the American Girl collection and several “My First Little House” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She also illustrated the Wisconsin Historical Society Press titles “Sport: Ship Dog of the Great Lakes” and “Death’s Door: True Tales of Tragedy, Mystery, and Bravery from the Great Lakes’ Most Dangerous Waters.”

Learn more about “The ABCs of Wisconsin Cheese.”