Chester (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Chester, a black-and-white dog with a serious mein, loves his family, but they seem to have forgotten about him. Unhappy, he puts his doghouse on his head and leaves. But for where? In the forest, the birds think he's a wolf and force him out. The city is too crowded and expensive. When he's scooped up by a wealthy woman, Chester finds himself in the lap of luxury. Toys! Treats! But after his owner dreses him in baby clothes, Chester takes off. Now what? a cold and lonely Chester wonders as he walks in the rain. Then, in the happiest of endings, he hears the voices of his family, who have been looking for him since he left. Imai, who lives in Japan, has produced a small gem. The story—one that children can take easily to their hearts—is illustrated in delicate watercolors that nonetheless project force both in action and emotion. Masterfully, Imai combines an almost surrealistic style, in which price tags float in the breeze and leaves serve as umbrellas, with a centered plotline that keeps its focus throughout. At the heart of everything is the dogged dog Chester, who rarely changes expression but learns much about leaving and loving. Cooper, Ilene

Review

Delicate, impressionistic illustrations... -- Kirkus, starred review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Minedition (September 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698400623
• ISBN-13: 978-0698400627
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #958,717 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars chester is a keeper, January 22, 2009

By	marie web (ca, usa) - See all my reviews

I've just read this book to my son and we loved. The story is simple with a good message. The illustrations are adorable and I love her style so much. The whole book left me with a happy, sweet feeling. I will be adding this to my son's personal library.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chester is fun & unusual, August 21, 2008

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Genna Chatel (age 8) for Reader Views (8/08)

"Chester" is about a little puppy that runs away because his family is always busy and forgets about him. He goes to all sorts of different homes. Only one person takes him in, a rich lady. Her grooms take care of him, but he runs away. I like Chester because he's fun.

The drawings are unusual. I think the drawings are drawn with pencil crayon. I think this is a good way to draw because there are many pencil crayons in a lot of colors. Also because of the little points on the pencils there are many details in the drawing such as a tiny arrow sticking out of the window in the city drawing.

My favorite page is where the grass has price tags because it's very funny! I would recommend this book to someone who likes to draw.

The message in this story is that you shouldn't ignore people in your family and the people you love and care for. I think this message is one that we should remember every day, and Chester reminds me of it. I wouldn't change anything in this story because "Chester" by Ayano Imai is such a good book. I liked the ending a lot. It made me feel like I was part of the happy ending.

4.0 out of 5 stars An easy read about appreciating what you have, September 25, 2009

By	Fry Boy (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews

Chester the dog isn't getting the attention he used to from his owners, a family of four. They are now too busy with the hustle and bustle of their own lives and Chester feels unappreciated and ignored. So he picks up his small doghouse and leaves, followed by a little bird. What ensues are Chester's attempts to find a new home, none of which are as good as the one he left. And it's not like his family doesn't notice he's gone or doesn't care. A thoughtful story about how we all need to show our appreciation for each other and enhance each other's lives.