Chester's Way

Kevin Henkes' "Mouse Tales" are always a pleasure, pairing adorable illustrations and pitch-perfect textual evocations of the experiences of early childhood. Owen, which was a Caldecott Honor Book, explores the issue of a young mouse's attachment to his security blanket, while the marvelous Chrysanthemum details the story of a young mouse who find herself the target of schoolroom ridicule, as a result of her unusual name. But despite my enjoyment of these and other titles, somehow I had never picked up Chester's Way before today. How glad I am that I finally did, as it is (not surprisingly) an absolute delight!

Chester had his own way of doing things, from cutting his sandwiches diagonally, to double-knotting his shoes every morning - show more ways that his best friend Wilson shared. Chester and Wilson were an inseparable pair: swimming, biking and even snacking together. And then one day, a little mouse named Lily moved into the neighborhood, and she too had her own way of doing things. A way that often involved flamboyant disguises and water guns. Would Chester and Wilson ever accept Lily...? This being Kevin Henkes, there's never much doubt of the happy ending, but it is still immensely satisfying watching Chester, Wilson and Lily get there. Absolutely charming - I think I need to reread the rest of these! show less

The overall theme of this book is change, and that children should not be afraid but instead welcome it. Here we have Chester and Wilson, two young mice who have a daily routine and never waver from it, and then Lily moves in and everything goes out the window. Instead of accepting Lily's new and different ways of life, Chester and Wilson try to avoid her, which is not so nice. But when the boys are being bullied, it is Lily who comes to the rescue despite their lack of a prior friendship, and they all become friends.

I really liked this book because it shows that while you may have to go a bit out of your comfort zone, accepting change helps people to learn, grow, and ultimately become better human beings--Chester and Wilson even got a show more new friend out of it. We think of change as something drastic, like moving states or your parents getting divorced, but this book shows that it can happen on more simplistic levels: a new neighbor moves who does things a little differently. This topic is one that children can really understand and I think will introduce them to problem-solving in everyday life. show less

A pair of very particular boys with very set routines are the best of friends. And then a nonconformist dares to move into the neighborhood and show them that a little change can be a good thing.

My daughter and I both liked this when she was three. And it holds up very well a couple decades down the road.

FOR REFERENCE:

Rated "Good" in our old book database by Rod and Adelia.

I enjoyed reading "Chester's Way" by Keven Henkes. This modern fantasy picture book is about a young mouse named Chester and his best friend, Wilson. Chester and Wilson do everything "exactly the same way." Chester and Wilson are so alike that they will not ride their bikes without each other, they are both hungry at the same time, and they both want exactly the same gifts for Christmas. The two do everything together, and their parents remark that "some days [they] can't tell those two apart." One day, another little mouse named Lilly moves into their neighborhood and wants to be friends with Chester and Wilson. Chester and Wilson do not like that Lilly does things differently than they do and "has a mind of her own," so they avoid show more her. Then one day, Lilly scares a group of bullies away from Wilson and Chester by jumping out of the bushes dressed as a cat. Chester and Wilson had thought Lilly's costumes were strange before, but when her disguise turned out to be helpful,Chester and Wilson realized that they had judged Lilly without getting to know her. The two befriend Lilly and become more open-minded to the new things that Lilly shows them, like using cookie cutters to cut their sandwiches and creating smiley faces on their toast out of fruit. Soon, Chester and Wilson begin to adopt some of Lilly's habits, and she adopts some of theirs. In the end, Chester and Wilson and Lilly do everything together and do everything exactly the same way. The story ends when the three best friends learn that a new little mouse named Vincent has moved into their neighborhood. Chester and Wilson and Lilly are shown hiding behind a rock and wearing matching disguises, suggesting that they will react to Vincent the same way that Chester and Wilson first reacted to Lilly. The main idea of the story is that it is important to be open-minded to new people and new things, and that trying something different might end up introducing you to something you love. It is easy to get "stuck" in old routines, but change can sometimes be for the better. Chester and Wilson were hesitant to spend time with Lilly, but when they gave her a chance she became their best friend and showed them many new things that they enjoyed. The only thing that I did not like about the book was that rather than learning to become individuals, Chester and Wilson merely incorporate some of Lilly's qualities into their routines. Eventually Chester and Wilson and Lilly do everything the same to the point where "some days [their parents] can't tell those three apart." I would rather that Chester and Wilson learn that it is okay to be different and act like an individual, and that they would start to form their own, unique identities. Otherwise, I found the book to be a very cute story. I would give it four stars. show less

Chester has his own way of doing things, but when Wilson moves to the neighborhood they become inseparable. "Chester and Wilson, Wilson and Chester. That's the way it was." When a THIRD kid, Lilly, moves to the neighborhood she has her own way of doing things too. At first, Wilson and Chester ignore Lilly's attempts at friendship, until Lilly saves them from some bullying older kids. The three then form a new friendship all together. The book leaves with an open ending suggesting that things might change if someone else moves to the neighborhood...

I really liked this book. Chester's Way is a very cute book about the acceptance of others and the inclusion of new friends. The language in the book is very understandable for young readers. The characters are well developed and all have "personalities" that are believable. The plot is well thought out especially when Olivia, the new friend, comes into the story. If a nonreader picks this book they would still be able to follow along with the story thanks to the great illustrations that match the plot. This book pushes readers to think about the acceptance of new friends and different ways/strategies new friends could go about activities and play that differ from theirs. The author and illustrator did a very good job of emphasizing the show more theme of acceptance of new friends and their way of doing things. show less

Chester has his own way of doing things, but when Wilson moves to the neighborhood they become inseparable. "Chester and Wilson, Wilson and Chester. That's the way it was." When a THIRD kid, Lilly, moves to the neighborhood she has her own way of doing things too. At first, Wilson and Chester ignore Lilly's attempts at friendship, until Lilly saves them from some bullying older kids. The three then form a new friendship all together. The book leaves with an open ending suggesting that things might change if someone else moves to the neighborhood...