Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse

Chester Cricket and His Friends #6

by George Selden, Garth Williams (Illustrator)

A hungry mouse and a lonely kitten become friends and seek adventure and fortune together in the streets and subways of New York City. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Animals, Childrens, Middle Grade, Cats, Classics, Fantasy

79 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

George Selden (1929-1989) was the author of The Cricket in Times Square, winner of the 1961 Newbery Honor and a timeless children's classic. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Selden received his B.A. from Yale, where he was a member of the Elizabethan Club and contributed to the literary magazine. He spent three summer sessions at Columbia University and, after college, studied for a year in Rome on a Fulbright Scholarship.

People often asked Selden how he got the idea for The Cricket in Times Square. "One night I was coming home on the subway, and I did hear a cricket chirp in the Times Square subway station. The story formed in my mind within minutes. An author is very thankful for minutes like those, although they happen all too infrequently." The popular Cricket series grew to seven titles, including Tucker's Countryside and The Old Meadow. In 1973, The Cricket in Times Square was made into an animated film. Selden wrote more than fifteen books, as well as two plays. His storytelling blends the marvelous with the commonplace realities of life, and it was essential to him that his animal characters display true emotions and feelings.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...

Reviews

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a delightful prequel giving us the story of how Harry and Tucker came to be best friends and flatmates in Times Square Station. It is quite a priceless story. Although there is one illustration that is supposed to be rats and it is obviously cats and that sort of thing bugs me no end. There was one particular passage that spoke to my heart:

"At a certain hour of the night a ray of moonlight, if the moon was full, fell through a grating, above, in Times Square. And it fell like a silent poem - a prayer - in front of the drainpipe where Harry and Tucker now lived. They both looked at the silvery light. And then they went out, to get the feel of it on their backs. The moonlight made the fur of both animals shine. It felt as if it were shining inside them too."

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars & 6/10 hearts. Oh my! This was such a lovely story!! Tucker and Harry were so absolutely cute as “kids”!! I loved getting to know how they’d met and become friends and all the adventures that befell them before—and after—they got to the drainpipe in the subway. It was so fun!! I enjoyed it so much!

[Elizabeth Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! This book is sooo cute I love the little illustrations and how humorous it is. My favorite part of the book is when the Harry kitten ran the fade with Chollie the rat for wanting to take Tucker mouse’s belongings, pretty great! I recommend this book for all ages:)

[Paul Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another illustration-filled short story that provides a happy tale of the early days for Harry and Tucker. There's something sweet about how the two young animals bonding as they survive New York City together, and it's always fun to see pieces fall into place and set up the first book.

[LadyCalico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I accidentally happened upon this book, which I hadn't known existed, while searching for something else and couldn't resist reading this prequel. It was written late in the series, about Harry and Tucker, as kitten and mousiekins, first meeting, deciding to throw in their lot together, and finding their home in the subway beneath Times Square. Of course, the Garth Williams's illustrations are wonderful. To borrow a line from Casaablanca, "...I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried this one after Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride, but it was not as successful. Took forever to read it, because even though there are lots of illustrations, Fred declared "Too boring!" and kept switching to another book. And the boy was right. It is kinda boring. Nothing much happens in this one - Harry and Tucker meet each other, they go looking for a place to live, they feel a certain ennui, they find a penny, eventually they end up in Times Square and fight some rats and find their drainpipe. I did make sure we returned to it before it was due back at the library, in part because I wanted to do the voices of the rats at the end. They were written in thick NYC dialect and I thought it would be fun. It was.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, the dreaded prequel. It's okay, I guess, though Selden doesn't know his rats if he thinks a half-grown kitten can take on three at a time without getting seriously hurt, if they're anything like the rats in my city.
Certainly a better read than Chester Cricket's New Home, but then that wasn't hard to beat. Small children might like it for its lesson on facing up to bullies, or series completists.
Very short, which may be a recommendation to some readers.

[Ellen Sun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it's a good way of showing friendship.It's a good way of showing friendship because Harry kitten and Tucker mouse worked together, and instead of fighting they becomed friends.👫

[Joyfully Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so nice to see how it all started! One thing I didn't understand was why the hooligan mean rats wore clothes and no other creatures wore clothes.

Other than that, it was a cute, and awesome book!

[Will Plunkett · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my kids-book reading days (back when I was a kid), I really liked the Chester Cricket books (or, at least the two that I read), as well as the illustrations in them. Same story settings here, similar pictures of the action. Stuff got serious towards the end, too!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was kind of a cute book, but I'm giving it 5 stars because when my daughter read it, she closed the book and said, "Mom, this was such a good book!". With that kind of a reaction, I hope all other kids enjoy this as much as my daughter did.

[Erin Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse are two of my favorite characters from childhood. Such a cute little story.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming story

A wonderful heartwarming story of friendship and love. It's one of our favorites. A nice start for introducing Harry and Tucker.

[Carolyn Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful children's story by the author of "The Cricket In Times Square"

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good vocabulary for the boys to learn. The story was just kind of boring and disjointed until the rat fight at the end.

[Nancy Bandusky · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a little slow until the end, but it's a cute story of two unlikely friends. The illustrations are positively adorable!

[Leo · Rating 2 out of 5]

"It's hard for authors of a popular book to keep up the good writing."

[Worm of the Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute!

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful tale--fun to find out how they decide to live in Times Square and how they got their names

[Anne Exler · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations by Garth Williams (which is the reason this book is in my collection) were delightful as always, but the story was not very interesting.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is not super strong here - and the dialogue was a little too idiosyncratic at times - but Garth Williams' illustrations brought it home.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story, although quite new, is meant to go before the beloved first book, A cricket in Times Square. When a baby mouse named Tucker meets a kitten named Harry, interesting things start to happen. Instead of the "Natural Enemies" rule, they develop deep relationships! Afterwards, they go looking for a home. Their first location was The Empire State Building, but they only had the basements for themselves, which was far too lonely, and soon, they got lost. After finally wandering out of the empty labyrinth, they traveled to a set of abandoned docks, which turned out to be too filthy and low-profile. Next, they went to seek a very nice garden/park, but in which everything were high-profile and noble. But they wanted action! So they, along with a negation of effort and ego, finally took to the subways- New York Times Square, to be exact- to live in. Last but not least, they battle a trio of Huge rats who want Tucker's life savings (money). The 3 rats only lost because of a head-start that the duo made.

I liked how the author came up with the extra-ordinary plot: from< talking mammals> to finding homes, George Selden develops the story in a nice way, sustains a good plot, and ends with action. For ex., at the bottom of pg. 37, the act of falling plaster from the weakened roofs of the docks enunciates their uncomfortable thoughts and displeasure. Such a plot is very attractive for readers, especially young ones. 👍

>Writing in progress<

[Kate Matson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
New editions of old favorites Meet Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse. No one would ever dream that a cat and mouse could become friends, but that doesn't stop Harry and Tucker.All they have is each other to depend on. Together they begin an exciting adventure throughout New York, searching for a home they can call their own. But the two friends run into some troublesome times in their journey around town. Is all hope lost? Where will they turn to next?
Plot:
Obviously, there really isn't a plot. It's basically just telling how Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse came to be friends.
Writing:
The writing is very simple. It's very easy to read and Is perfect for 1st+. It flows on the page and is also enjoyable to read.
Characters:
The characters-Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse- are very cute. It was nice to read about them and how they think and act upon situations. It was incredibly cute about how there friendship formed.
Overall:
It was a cute book. I'm glad that I came to read it. I read it in one sitting easily. Childish as it is, I'm happy I picked this up.
Recommendations:
7+. As a 13 year old, I still mildly enjoyed this. If you liked The Cricket in Times Square, then you'll like this.

[Dominick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this is a pleasant enough diversion, especially for the lovely Garth Williams illustrations. My favourite, I think, is the one of Harry and Tucker all soaked in the shower, but there are several delightful others. Williams illustrations will almost invariably move me to buy a book. The story is slight--as you might imagine, given the length. Harry and Tucker are orphans in New York City (the text hints at the trauma of the loss of their parents and siblings, without being explicit about it) who form an unlikely friendship and set out to find a home in the city. Most of the story follows their various failed attempts: the basement of the Empire State Building (too lonely); the abandoned piers (too scary); Gramercy Park (too high-class); Times Square (too busy). They finally find a place in the subway, and prove their worth and adulthood by fighting off the rats who try to extort them. Light and whimiscal, given the potential darkness at its core (the harsh life of animals in an urban environment). Not a classic by any means, but diverting.

[Mary Jo Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selden, author of the classic "A Cricket in Times Square" writes delightful tales of brave, clever animals making their way in the Big Apple. Harry and Tucker are an unlikely pair of friends who navigate their way through the maze of New York in an earlier time until they find their place together.

The black and white illustrations of a fuzzy kitten and adorable mouse would be immensely appealing to children and would the anthropomorphized characters themselves. Harry and Tucker are quite human and childlike. They are underdogs, and who doesn't love to see the underdogs triumph?

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun book in the set. Introducing how Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse became friends never seemed important before, I always just accepted it as the way things were. Now I know the back story. One thing that irks me about this book is that it is an easy pick for reading to kids but it has no chapters. One 79 page book with no breaks. You either insert your own stopping point or you power through the whole thing with your kids. Otherwise it is a great tale in typical Selden fashion. I didn't notice any out of date language in this one like in some of the past stories.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a portion of this story in our basal reader in elementary school. I loved it so much, I went straight to the library and checked out the full version. I don't remember all of the minute details, but I do remember reading it over and over. I was a very advanced reader for my age, but I always found joy in the simple stories, and this was a story that I loved. This would be a great read-aloud for a classroom, or for parents and child.

[Lisa Macklem · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Garth Williams illustrations are what really make this book. I found the narrative a little too whimsical - and therefore hard to follow. There is the usual coming of age and facing down bully storyline. I did like the unlikely friends of a cat and a mouse which speaks volumes to tolerance between different people. So there are certainly lessons here of value to kids - and it is a kid's book at the end of the day...

[Jen Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable story of how Harry and Tucker from A Cricket in Time Square ended up living together in a subway station in NYC. Prequel to A Cricket in... again, as will all books in this series, completely clean, nothing needed to be edited out. Nothing scary, but plenty of excitement. The boys loved these friends they have grown to know over the series.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This prequel to The Cricket in Times Square explains how Tucker and Harry find each other as young animals in New York and what they go through to find their home in the subway. Not as strong as The Cricket and much faster to read at 79 pages with many illustrations.