The Cricket in Times Square facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | George Selden |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Garth Williams |
| Cover artist | Garth Williams |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Cricket in Times Square series |
| Genre | Children's |
| Publisher | Ariel Books |
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Publication date
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1960 |
| Media type | |
| LC Class | PZ7.T37154 |
| Followed by | Tucker's Countryside |
The Cricket in Times Square is a famous children's book written by George Selden and drawn by Garth Williams. It was first published in 1960. This book won the Newbery Honor award in 1961, which is a big deal for children's books!
George Selden shared how he got the idea for the story. He was riding the subway one night and heard a cricket chirping in Times Square. He said the whole story came to him in just a few minutes. Authors are very thankful for moments like that!
Contents
Story Summary
The story is about a cricket named Chester. He lives in Connecticut but accidentally gets on a train to New York City. Chester ends up in the busy area of Times Square.
A boy named Mario Bellini finds Chester. Mario's parents run a newsstand, and Mario wants to keep Chester as a pet. He also hopes Chester will bring good luck to their family business.
Mario's mom, Mama Bellini, is worried about germs from the cricket. But his dad, Papa Bellini, is more relaxed about having Chester around.
New Friends in the City
At the newsstand, Chester meets two new friends. They are Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat. These two spend their time exploring the city. They look for food and other useful things that people throw away.
Tucker and Harry show Chester around Times Square. Chester finds the area very busy and a bit overwhelming. But he also sees how beautiful and exciting it is.
Chester's Special Talent
As the story goes on, Chester shows off his amazing musical talent. He can chirp beautiful songs! Mario takes Chester to Chinatown. There, he buys Chester a special cricket cage from a shop owner named Sai Fong.
One day, Chester accidentally eats a two-dollar bill from the newsstand's cash register. Mama Bellini is very upset and wants Chester to leave. But Tucker Mouse helps save Chester. He gives some of his coin collection to replace the money.
Later, the three friends have a party at the newsstand. Tucker accidentally knocks over a box of matches, which starts a small fire. Mama Bellini blames Chester for the accident.
But at just the right moment, Chester chirps Mama Bellini's favorite song. She starts singing along and changes her mind about Chester. Everyone soon realizes that Chester has a perfect memory for music. He can even chirp parts of famous opera songs, which really surprises Papa Bellini!
Going Home
Eventually, Chester decides he wants to go back home to Connecticut. Before he leaves, he gives one last concert in Times Square. His music is so beautiful that it makes Times Square and many blocks of New York City become completely silent. Everyone stops what they are doing to listen to his amazing music.
After this final concert, Mario plays with Chester one last time at the newsstand. Mario falls asleep while playing. Later that same night, Chester chirps a farewell to Mario. Harry and Tucker then take Chester to Grand Central Terminal. This is so Chester can hop onto a train heading home.
At Grand Central, all three friends say goodbye. When Mario wakes up and his parents return, he soon realizes Chester has gone home. Mario accepts this, saying, "And I'm glad." The story ends with Tucker telling Harry that maybe they will visit the countryside in Connecticut someday.
Animated Versions
The popular book The Cricket in Times Square was made into a short animated cartoon. This happened in 1973. Chuck Jones wrote and directed the cartoon. He is famous for creating many classic cartoons.
Some well-known voice actors worked on the cartoon. Mel Blanc was the voice of Tucker Mouse. Les Tremayne voiced Chester Cricket, Harry Cat, Papa Bellini, and Mr. Smedley. June Foray was Mama Bellini, and Kerry MacLane voiced Mario. The cartoon first aired on ABC on April 24, 1973.
Chuck Jones also made two more animated cartoons that continued the story. These were A Very Merry Cricket (released in 1973) and Yankee Doodle Cricket (released in 1975).
More Adventures (Sequels)
George Selden wrote six more books that continued the adventures of Chester, Tucker, and Harry. These books are called sequels. They include:
- Tucker's Countryside (1969)
- Harry Cat's Pet Puppy (1974)
- Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride (1981)
- Chester Cricket's New Home (1983)
- Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse (1986)
- The Old Meadow (1987)
Also, in 2011, Macmillan released three new books. These books were written by Thea Feldman. They are based on the characters from The Cricket in Times Square. The titles are:
- Harry to the Rescue!
- Starring Harry
- Tucker's Beetle Band
