the cricket in times square by george selden

(Have tissues at the ready, especially if you’re reading aloud to your child. In the most emotional moment of the book, Chester gives Mario a private concert, a musical, emotional goodbye.

It is this phenomenal talent that eventually brings Mario’s struggling family some much-needed luck and fortune.Įventually, Chester can no longer deny that he loves the Connecticut countryside far more than the bright lights of New York City. As the story progresses, we discover that Chester’s musical ability far surpasses that of any ordinary cricket.

A local cat and mouse (who are an unlikely but somehow totally believable pair) befriend Chester the quirky trio meet in the evenings after the newsstand closes to talk and listen to Chester’s musical chirps. He gives Chester shelter in the form of a matchbox in the newsstand, despite the rather forceful objections of his mother. Mario is immediately enchanted with the cricket. His chirps, so unique in the din of the city, are heard by Mario, a poor boy, the son of Italian immigrants who run a newsstand in the station. After several days alone in his cold pile of dirt in the corner of the subway station, Chester begins to chirp, a sweet plea for help. Once he frees himself from the basket, Chester is alone, afraid, and quickly becoming hopeless. A young child who befriends and defends the seemingly helpless animal? Check.Ĭricket tells the story of Chester, a cricket who, after accidentally trapping himself in a picnic basket in his home state of Connecticut, finds himself in the Times Square subway station. A cast of animal characters who supports the confused, lost friend? Check. Cricket has many of the same, masterful literary components as Charlotte’s Web : A homesick animal who must adjust to a new environment? Check. The Cricket in Times Square may be the perfect book for Charlotte’s Web devotees.

The cricket in times square by george selden