Book Review: Chester, Series Title #1 by Mélanie Watt

So Country Mouse soon finds not only his adventures taken over, but also his house made over and his furnishings marked over, by Chester. Chester indeed goes in for:

• fake-overs of Chester’s ball of yarn in Country Mouse’s former armchair, Country Mouse’s floor-length drapes to Chester’s tag My curtains, and Country Mouse’s living room wall of pictures to Chester’s Home Sweet Home cross-stitch;
• make-overs of the signpost Mouse’s House to Chester’s House;
• mark-overs of the trio of living room portraits of Country Mouse and his parents to three of Chester, Chester’s father, and Chester’s mother; and
• take-overs by a fish of Country Mouse’s side-table for cheese wedge.

Chester has Country Mouse packing everything and traveling far away. 

There is the indication of plot complications yet to come, with Chester printing ¡Hasta la vista! (“Until the sight!” loosely) under the window view of Country Mouse’s plane heading off … but returning from Mexico with:

• sarape;
• sombrero;
• souvenir; and
• suitcase.

Chester nevertheless judges his author/illustrator claims strengthened by replacing the story of Country Mouse’s carrot-eating vegetarian dog with the tale of bird-filled, flower-friendly, tuna fish-visited, mouse-free Chesterville’s most Charming Handsome Envy of mouse Smart Talented Envy of Mélanie Really handsome resident.  He keeps control by:

• assigning Country Mouse to a mouse hole; and
• having a ball of yarn as a toy and a can of tuna fish as a treat within easy access of the armchair.

Make-overs, mark-overs, and take-overs lull Chester into over-confidence. He no longer mulls such plot-threatening interruptions as Country Mouse’s dog and rainfall. So his autobiography ending with him sporting a pink tutu and princess crown -- not the dreamed-of pink neck ribbon -- really needles Chester.

Chester therefore offers children and grown-ups of all ages -- beyond the target audience of pre-schoolers to third-graders aged 4 to 8 years -- culturally enriching, educationally entertaining adventures with such domesticated animals as cats, dogs, and mice, thanks to:

• Sophie Gagnon’s author photo;
• Kids Can Press Ltd.’s publishing arrangements;
• Tara Walker’s editorship; and
• Mélanie Watt’s design, illustrations assembled digitally from pencil and watercolor, and storyline set in Carnation and Kidprint text. 

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

A table temptingly set with cheese wedges is welcoming to Country Mouse, but not to Chester the cat.
still life macro photo: tilsit cheese on plate: Jon Sullivan, Public Domain, via Public Domain Images @ https://pixnio.com/photos/food-and-drink

A pink tutu offers an unexpected twist as author Mélanie Watt dampens Chester the cat's enthusiasm for freelancing as author and illustrator.
cat and tutu: Nacho Pintos (bonus1up), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/bonus1up/3293402548/

A red felt marker enables Chester the cat to launch a takeover of author Mélanie Watt's story about a Country Mouse.
uncapped tip of red felt marker pen: mjtmail (tiggy), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/mjtmail/2971979309/

"Chester by Mélanie Watt" (4:25)
Uploaded January 27, 2014, by MrMattperreault to YouTube ~ URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0K3mWcVCyo

Rain foils Chester the cat's attempts to rewrite author-illustrator Mélanie Watt's story about a Country Mouse.
rain on car window; Sneyd, Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands, England: Tanveer Chandok (tchandok), CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/tchandok/4811498597/

Watt, Mélanie. 2007. Chester. Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Tonawanda, NY, U.S.A.: Kids Can Press.