Chester the Out-of-Work Dog - Softcover

Singer, Marilyn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0805053395 ISBN 13: 9780805053395

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 1997

Synopsis

When Chester the sheep-herding dog moves to the city, he suffers an identity crisis.

About 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.

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0805053395
• ISBN 13: 9780805053395
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Smith Cat Bowman