Chester the Out-Of-Work Dog [School & Library Binding]

Marilyn Singer (Author), Cat Bowman Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

"This picture book has it all--slap-stick comedy, a touch of pathos, and an actual story with a beginning, a middle, and an end."--Booklist, starred review. Full color.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A working sheepdog becomes a fish out of water when he moves from the farm to the city. Chester loved spending his days rounding up sheep on the Wippenhoopers' farm, and the calm quiet of country evenings there. But when the Wippenhoopers trade their rural existence for an urban apartment life, Chester feels lost--"his paws hurt too much from the concrete," and he hates being unemployed. The resourceful canine finds surrogate flocks to herd--pigeons, squirrels, delivery men--much to the family's chagrin. As a last resort, Chester decides to flee back to the country when he spies an odd bunch of sheep (school children in costume) desperately in need of direction. Singer's slightly daffy but heartfelt story runs the gamut of emotions; Chester's feelings of anxiety and uselessness are easy to identify with. Bowman's ( Good Night, Feet; the Max Malone books) loose, bubbly watercolors convey wackiness and warmth. Her portraits of the toothy Wippenhooper clan and the ovine-outfitted kids are particularly memorable. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-- When the Wippenhoopers sell their farm and move to the city, Chester, their sheep-herding Border collie, finds himself out of work. He dislikes the city: the concrete hurts his feet; the noise hurts his ears; and he's bored and restless. At last he decides to herd something besides sheep. For a week he rounds up, among other things, firemen into a fountain, a squirrel into a mailbox, and a girl's softball team into a boy's bathroom. Ostracized by his family, he decides to leave the city for his old home. At a nearby field, he encounters a group of children in sheep costumes who are looking for the city school to put on a play. After herding them there, Chester is given a job as a school crossing guard. The story progresses quickly, employing simple, direct text and much humor. Witty ink-and-watercolor cartoon drawings enhance the text; the faces of the characters are particularly expressive. Earth tones and quiet colors are used until the encounter in the field. There, in a double-page spread, the tones become brighter and more pastels are used, as if to indicate Chester's new, happier life. Children are sure to flock to this satisfying story. --Cynthia K. Richey, Mt. Lebanon Public Library, Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• School & Library Binding
• Publisher: Topeka Bindery (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613027957
• ISBN-13: 978-0613027953
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,761,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marilyn Singer was born in the Bronx (New York City) on October 3, 1948 and lived most of her early life in N. Massapequa (Long Island), NY. She attended Queens College, City University of New York, and for her junior year, Reading University, England. She holds a B.A. in English from Queens and an M.A. in Communications from New York University.

In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, she began to write - initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides, and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories, and in 1976, her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E.P.Dutton & Co.

Since then, Marilyn has published over eighty books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored.

Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling that says, "Hi. How are you? Sweet Birdie. Okay!" Her interests include ballroom/Latin dancing, dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, playing computer adventure games, and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.

Marilyn is the former host of the AOL Children's Writers Chat and currently co-hosts the Poetry Blast at various conferences. Visit her web site: www.marilynsinger.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute Book!, January 27, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Chester the Out-of-Work Dog (Paperback)

This book is a cute book about a dog who herded sheep on a farm and then moved away to a town. He has no one to herd and is sad. He starts herding people and his faimly gets made and the dog runs away. Finally a group of kids are lost and Chester knows where the children need to go! Can Chester herd them where they need to go,get a job and make his family proud?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I laughed out loud...., March 11, 2003

By 

Sabreur (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chester the Out-Of-Work Dog (School & Library Binding)

Chester, who is a herding dog (and obviously a Border Collie) moves from the country to the city and gets into a number of misadventures before he finds a job to keep him occupied.

Chester's attempts to find something to herd in the city are the funniest part of the book--the ending is a little cute.

And for anyone who is misled by the review citing Christian scripture, the book has nothing to do with religion, Christian or otherwise, unless you believe Border Collies are a religion in themselves. Sheeesh!!!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Chester The out of work dog, May 16, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Chester the Out-Of-Work Dog (School & Library Binding)

This book is fantastic! The book is about a dog who has much love for his job and his family. One awful day he gets fired from his job at the farm. In search of work, he moves to the city and he finds that it is a very different lifestyle.