Chester's Back!

A fat-cat with plenty of attitude, Chester returns for his second tussle with author Mélanie Watt, using his handy red marker to hilarious effect! Never one to accept the narrative being written for him, Chester edits to his heart's content in Chester's Back, disrupting the author's attempt to insert another "actor" in his place, and generally stealing the show...

A humorous follow-up to Chester, this second metatextual adventure adventure will be just as welcome to bedtime listeners, who will enjoy its blend of mad-cap narrative and whimsical illustration.

Oh gosh. I can't speak for everyone, but if you want to know what makes me laugh, this is it. I loved the first Chester book, but was afraid that a sequel would fall a little flat. Um, no. I laughed even more loudly while reading this.

Originally posted at http://anabundanceofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/tots-to-teens-in-between-chesters...

Melanie has given in and made Chester the main character in her second book. This has all gone to Chester's head and he once again tries to take over the story.

From costume changes, hiding, and demands, Chester hijacks Melanie's story. Well, she's not taking it lying down! She counters Chester's "Cave Cat" with a T-Rex, and his Chesterdini with open auditions to find his replacement. (The auditions pages are great as they are filled with a variety of animals in Chester costumes.) Chester also fights back, running off a pig in a Chester costume and demanding a limousine filled with red jellybeans because he is a BIG STAR! And that's show more what he gets, but he's been drawn in a ridiculous outfit with a big star around his head. Chester is not amused, but Melanie, mouse, and the readers are! However he has the last laugh by turning Melanie's author page into a wanted poster for a new author/illustrator.

Verdict:
Another exuberant "collaboration" between Watt and chester. Details on every single page, this is a great book to read and explore with your child. Chester's Back has simply solidified my position as a Melanie Watt fan. My students and I have enjoyed her Scaredy Squirrel series for a while now and the Chester books are a big hit with all of us. I give it 5 stars. show less

I found this a little annoying, but there's no doubt in my mind that some little ones will think it's hilarious. And there's a sort of meta-textual lesson in it, too, I guess.

I have only recently been introduced to Melanie Watt through LIB 428 class and specifically Scaredy Squirrel, of which I am a huge fan. Although I enjoyed the renegade style of Chester I thought the book was lacking in most areas. There was little by way of plot or storyline and although I know the point was dealing with a petulant star it seemed as though there needed to be more. I like the idea of a character taking over a book it seems clever and interesting there was just something overall lacking for me. Chester could have high jacked the book and taken the wee readers on an exciting journey but instead the author and character just sort of argued back and forth in an existential manner to no real end. It did have a bit of a moral show more in that it discussed the pitfalls of being too egotitstical.

I don’t necessarily think that every kid's book needs a moral, that would get dull but I do think the story ought to be entertaining no matter what. show less

I really enjoyed this book for many different reasons. The main idea of this book is to use your imagination and creativity. This is represented throughout the book in a different way than most children stories. Instead of a conflict occurring and the main character seeing how he was wrong, the main character takes over the book and uses his imagination to distort the story. For example, when the author tells the cat to “cut it out,” he literally cuts out the drawing on the page. Another example of creativity was when Chester asks to become a star and the illustrator literally draws him as a star. The illustrations are crucial to this story. Without them you would not be able to understand the words and why some of them are red and show more not in nicely typed out font. show less

Chester is back in his second book, trying to steal the scene, and the story, from author Melanie Watt. Melanie is trying to write the book, but Chester will not cooperate and adds his thoughts and ideas in red pen. There is red pen all over the place. It is very humorous, as well as unique, and would make a great read aloud to a school age group. I love this book and I highly recommend it. Chester is a riot!