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Summary
Summary
"I like croquet and peanut butter and making my bed."
There is only one way for Chester to do things--his own way. "You definitely have a mind of your own," said Chester's mother. "That's one way to put it," said Chester's father.
Luckily Chester's best friend, Wilson, likes doing things just the same way as Chester. When they cut their sandwiches, it's always diagonally. When they ride their bikes, they always use hand signals. If Chester is hungry, Wilson is too. They're two of a kind--until indomitable Lilly, who has her own way of doing things, moves into the neighborhood. Because Lilly has her own way of doing things!
Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Kitten's First Full Moon, and Chrysanthemum, Chester's Way is a classic picture book about friendship for kids ages 3-7. With sweet good humor and charming pictures, the book's themes of making new friends, accepting others, and trying new things resonate when curled up with a parent or at story time.
Author Notes
Kevin Henkes was born in Racine, Wis. in 1960 and graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. One of four children in his family, Henkes grew up with aspirations of being an artist. As a junior in high school, one of Henkes's teachers awakened his interest in writing. Falling in love with both writing and drawing, Henkes realized that he could do both at the same time as a children's book author and illustrator.
At the age of 19, Henkes went to New York City to get his first book, All Alone, published. Since that time, he has written and illustrated dozens of picture books including Chrysanthemum, Protecting Marie, and A Weekend with Wendell. A recurring character in several of Henkes's books is Lily, an outrageous, yet delightful, individualist. Lily finds herself the center of attention in the books Chester's Way, Julius, the Baby of the World, and Lily's Purple Plastic Purse.
A Weekend With Wendell was named Children's Choice Book by the Children's Book Council in 1986. He recieved the Elizabeth Burr Award for Words of Stone in 1993. Owen was named a Caldicott Honor in 1994. The Year of Billy Miller was named a Newbery Honor book in 2014.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2 Chester is a child of rigid habits. From the way he ties his shoes to what he has for breakfast, he knows exactly how things ought to be done and tolerates no deviations. His friend, Wilson, shares his attitudes and his set routines, and the two are completely satisfied with the way they have arranged their lives. Although Chester's father is mildly disparaging of their obsessive actions, nothing happens to disturb them until Lilly moves into the neighborhood. Lilly is a whirlwind of wacky behavior. While Chester and Wilson cut their sandwiches into neat diagonals, Lilly uses a cookie cutter to make stars and flowers out of hers. Gradually, the two little stuffed shirts and free-swinging Lilly learn to accept each other and reshape all their prejudices to fit a trio, but an amusing surprise is waiting for them, and for the readers, on the last page. Henkes' charming cartoons are drawn with pen-and-ink, washed over with cheerful watercolors. They give witty expressions to his characters. The children's eyes, for instance, are drawn only with dots and tiny lines, but are nevertheless laden with meaning. Children will make Chester's Way their own. Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, McKinney, Tex. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This "sunny" tale of mouse friendships features rambunctious Lilly (of the purple plastic purse). In a boxed review, PW said, "every sentence is either downright funny or dense with playful, deadpan humor." Ages 4-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Chester, a mouse, is almost too good: he does everything just so--from double-knotting his shoes to carrying a first-aid kit. His friend Wilson is just like him; they are always together. When Lilly, an imaginative hellion, moves in next door, they find her too uproarious to play with--till the day she scares away some bullies who are pestering them; but when they finally get to know Lilly, they find her creativity makes life more interesting--and, of course, she has something to learn from them as well. The reversal of the stereotype here is hardly novel, but Henkes' pungent dialogue is amusing, and his illustrations engaging. Using two or three vignettes per page, he represents his characters mouse-size, which emphasizes what comically tidy, particular little people Chester and Wilson are. This should double well as an easy reader. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Ages 3-5. Young children sometimes revel in being alike, a trait that best friends Chester and Wilson share. And doing things exactly their way means that when a new girl named Lilly shows up with her own way of doing things, Chester and Wilson will have nothing to do with her-- until the day she bails them out of a close scrape with some mean, bigger kids. Afterward, two friends become three, with Lilly introducing the pair to some of her special ways, while at the same time adopting some of their habits. With a light touch, the story conveys the importance of tolerance and an open mind. Henkes' pen-and-wash pictures cast this trio of pals as mice children, whose expressions range from demure to comical. The action unfolds mostly through miniature sketches paired with a relevant block of text. An affectionate look at peer relationships. DMW.
