the cricket in times square by george selden

Mario is excited to have a new friend, but when Mario’s parents arrive, Mama wants him to get rid of the “bug” despite Mario’s assurance that crickets are good luck. Mario carefully takes the cricket to the newsstand, dusts it off, and makes a home for it in a matchbox. He tracks the chirp to a pile of trash and finds a tiny black cricket. Mario recognizes the sound as a cricket’s chirp.

In between noisy trains, Tucker hears an unfamiliar sound. Mario doesn’t have much luck: the tiny family newsstand that Papa Bellini built years ago makes little money. Tucker Mouse watches from his drainpipe home in the Times Square subway station as young Mario Bellini tries to sell papers to late-night commuters. Pagination in this guide refers to the 1960 Dell Yearling edition.Ĭontent Warning: The Cricket in Times Square contains outdated and stereotypical representations of Chinese people and culture. The Cricket in Times Square received the Newbery Honor award in 1961 and was adapted into an animated film in 1973 directed by Chuck Jones and featuring Les Tremayne as the voice of Chester and Mel Blanc as the voice of Tucker. Whimsical black and white illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Garth Williams capture the story’s humor and heart.

Selden explores timeless themes of friendship, the meaning of home, staying true to oneself, and the power of music. Mishaps in the newsstand set Mama Bellini against Chester until the cricket uses his musical talent to ensure the newsstand’s success.

There, Chester makes three good friends who help him navigate-and enjoy-his new city life: Mario Bellini, a young boy whose parents run a struggling newsstand Tucker, a sociable mouse and Tucker’s best friend, the cultured Harry Cat. Trapped in a picnic basket, Chester Cricket travels from his peaceful Connecticut home to the bustling Times Square subway station in George Selden’s classic children’s novel, The Cricket in Times Square (1960).

The cricket in times square by george selden