Tucker's Countryside

Chester Cricket and His Friends #2

by George Selden, Garth Williams (Illustrator)

Chester Cricket needs help. That's the message John Robin carries into the Times Square subway station where Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse live. Quickly, Chester's good friends set off on the long, hard journey to the Old Meadow, where all is not well.

Houses are creeping closer. Bulldozers and construction are everywhere. It looks like Chester and his friends' home will be ruined and the children of the town won't have a place to play. Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse are used to the city life. Now they need to find a place to stay and good things to eat. And most of all they must think of a plan--a special plan to help their friends.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, Classics

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

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

[Sarah Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

cat and mouse visit the countryside

Harry and Tucker are summoned to CT by Chester Cricket to help save the meadow from development. They meet a little girl and some workers and learn about protests and working as a group towards a goal. It's set in the 1960s and has a days gone by feel, but really a lovely story that has survived the passing of time.
I read this as a child I am sure, but it was possibly sweeter this time.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book #2 in the series.

A nice follow up to A Cricket in Times Square! I enjoyed seeing my cute and enjoyable characters meet up again with each other, this time in the country. And they're on a mission - to save the Meadow!

Cleanliness: Gee, for goodness sake, thank goodness are used a few times throughout the book. A girl mentions there being "magic" in the meadow - she is referring to nature, beauty, etc. Chester Cricket doesn't want to lie and say that a certain place is the homestead of a famous person when he's not sure that it is - and even though saying it is will save the Meadow. But his friends convince him that it's just a benign deception and that is what goes down.

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!

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[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is funny and sweet and has moments of real hilarity. Tucker as the obnoxious New Yorker is good stuff. And yet somehow in this, a book about animals, I think the best character is Ellen. What she almost knows - and how she responds - it’s enough to suggest an entire story from her perspective, and I think that’s impressive writing.

I loved this growing up, and it was fun to return to it. Somehow all those mentions of “benign deception” used to go right over my head, hmmmm?

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another lovely installment with the beloved characters from A Cricket in Times Square. We read this one out of order (after rather than before Harry Cat’s Pet Puppy), but it didn’t matter at all. There are some good messages about failure and teamwork and the usual delightful banter among the animals.

[Kaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son and I read The Cricket in Times Square earlier this year - I had fond memories of it as a child and thought it would be fun to revisit. That one held up pretty well, and my son asked if there was a sequel, so I checked. I was surprised to learn that there was - Tucker's Countryside. I was also surprised that it was pretty good - not quite as good as The Cricket in Times Square, but we both still enjoyed the story. I'm sad that I didn't know about it as a child because I think I would have liked it a lot at the age when I first read Cricket.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars & 3/10 hearts. Okay, so I really enjoyed this story. It was so fun to see Tucker, Chester, & Harry again. Harry & Tucker have the best relationship. XD And, I mean, the humour is AMAZING. All the new characters were so fun too! I would have given this 5 stars, but the deception I just can't agree with, and it's basically the whole point of the book, so... yeah. I'm not sure if I'll be rereading this or not.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm Olivia Rishell, certified countryside lover, and I approve this message

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun episode of Tucker & his friends, what a thoroughly enjoyable story. Never to old to read "children's" books.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse travel to the countryside to visit Chester Cricket and try to help him save his meadow.

While I read and loved "The Cricket in Time Square" when I was a kid, I never got around to reading the sequels. So now I'm joint-reading them with my mom (who is 87). We both really liked this one. It's sweet and emphasizes friendship, helping each other out, and the beauty of nature. What's not to like? The illustrations are charming as well - I realized I knew this illustrator from the Little House on the Prairie books. My mom and I will definitely be reading the next one in the series.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read reviews that claim that this book is a problem as it teaches children to tell lies. I think it opens up a great discussion. I loved the way the "underdog" wins in this one and the way the animals find a way to interact with humans and save their homes. I especially appreciated the Ellen character, a sweet young lady who understands both the importance of nature and of taking care of others. This series just makes me happy.

[Victoria (hotcocoaandbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute sequel, and lovely for the environmentalists that we are. This was all about trying to save a meadow from being destroyed so that apartments could be built. Our beloved characters return with a completely different setting and idea behind it. My sons and I enjoyed it.

[Rachel Tilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So enjoyed reading this with my 6 and almost 4 year old. It’s a delightful sequel.

[Chrystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat go to the countryside to help Chester Cricket and his friends. Another cute story, not as good as The Cricket in Times Square, but Garth Williams' illustrations made this book a pleasure to read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A continuation of “The Cricket of Times Square,” “Tucker’s Countryside” by George Selden tells the story of what happens after Chester Cricket has returned to his home in Hedley, Connecticut. Trouble has come to his home in the Old Meadow as plans to build an apartment complex threaten the area, so he sends John Robin to New York City to bring Tucker Mouse and Harry the Cat back to help. The amusing adventures of the two city dwellers as they encounter the countryside for the first time are set against a somber background. Summer is in full swing, but by autumn the Old Meadow may no longer exist if the developers get their way. Twelve-year-old Ellen Hadley is one of the Meadow’s most dedicated advocates, but she is going to need secret help from the animals to save her favorite place. It is a race against the wheels of progress to develop a plan, with the woodland inhabitants’ home at stake.

With charming black-and-white illustrations by well-known illustrator Garth Williams, “Tucker’s Countryside” is a delightful children’s chapter book that explores themes such as friendship and overcoming obstacles. It has an inspiring message of cooperation and working together to accomplish a common goal, and readers young and old will appreciate the humor and camaraderie of these beloved woodland creatures. This story can be read in conjunction with “The Cricket of Times Square,” an excerpt of which can be found at the end of the book, or it can stand alone.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet story about kids and animals wanting to save a meadow that was slated to be converted into apartment buildings. It had some cute and funny moments, and a pretty smart idea in the end, and overall it was a pretty fun read. However, what bothered me about it was the use of lying, burglary and forgery (as Chester points out)to save the meadow. The fact that Chester feels guilty about it and voices his concern just draws attention to the wrongfulness of it. The whole idea that 'the ends justify the means' is played out and everybody is happy in the end. However, it doesn't sit well with me to have the kids hear this type of message: that lying, stealing, and forging is 'OK, as long as there is a good result at the end'. I realize for drama's sake, the way they handled the problem is pretty clever, and makes for a good story, and maybe if the author had just glossed over the fact that it involved some wrongdoing without Chester pointing it out, I wouldn't have minded so much. The fact that the wrongdoing is explicitly called out, and then ignored, just leaves a wrong message to kids. (If it wasn't stated straight out, maybe they would have come to their own conclusion about the right/wrongfulness of the actions, or maybe they would have just enjoyed the story without reading much into it at all).

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

Okay for a sleepless night, but why is Tucker suddenly talking like a stereotypical Yiddishe Mousie? Why is Harry suddenly calling him Mousiekins (ugh) all the time?
And why is the book called Tucker's Countryside when it is obviously Chester's Countryside?

Yeah, yeah, I know...because it was published nine years after The Cricket in Times Square, which for all its faults had its charms. This book tries a bit hard--not to mention the change in style as the author constantly interrupts his own narration with asides. (You see what I did there?) Whether the author was asked to turn a beautiful one-off into a series, or whether he did it for the cash, I don't know. The result's rather bland, in spite of Selden's attempts to update his characters into sixties activists, picket lines and all. Of course, just as Vol 1 smacked strongly of the fifties (pub 1960), by 1969 he's a bit late to the party; the "work together to fight City Hall" moral is a bit heavy-handed. Not to mention that a simple title search on the old farmhouse would show up the big solution for the nonsense it is. But hey, it's children's fiction, it's harmless, and I couldn't sleep. However, by the end, it was pure glurge, even at 3 AM.
Two and a half stars.

[Gina]

It was so good to see Chester Cricket return in this second novel. It was also good to see Tucker Mouse save the day, like only a mouse from New York can!
Who doesn't love these books?

[Kali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely and worthy sequel to The Cricket in Times Square. In this installment, we see the city-dwelling characters (Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat) adventure out into the countryside (well, more accurately the suburbs - and a small meadow therein) to reunite with Chester Cricket and also meet a whole slew of new animal friends. They also endeavor to save the meadow Chester and his friends live in, which is in danger of being flattened to make room for a new apartment complex.

This book feels like more traditional fare for those who enjoy animal-based fiction. Gone are the hustle and bustle of the city and its many human inhabitants and dangers - and we're (as usual) faced with animals making lives for themselves in and around nature. There are, of course, humans in this story - and it's their encroachment on nature itself that forms the antagonist of the plot - but the focus is always on the animals and their natural place in the scheme of things.

The story itself is more slowly paced than its predecessor, meandering along peacefully like a lazy brook for the majority of the book. The end ramps up a bit, as a plot to save the meadow from destruction takes hold and is played out in a flurry of last minute activity and excitement. Whether that plan succeeds or not is, of course, the main point of the story - and I'm not going to spoil it for you here! Though I will say I found the ending appropriate and enjoyable.

[Sharon Ouderkirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books from childhood remains a favourite book today. Tucker Mouse and Harry the Cat are summoned to Connecticut by their old friend, Chester Cricket. Chester and all of his friends who live in the Old Meadow need Tucker and Harry to help them to save their home from encroaching construction. Tucker and his scrounging ways is being depended upon by Chester and Henry and Emily chipmunk and the 'various rabbits and sundry fieldmice.' While Harry settles into spoiled domesticity with a kind girl named Ellen, Tucker lives through flood and steam shovels, until he comes up with a wonderful idea to foil the 'stupid humans' who don't understand the beauty of the meadow.
Tucker is at his charming, scavenging, creative, sulky best in this novel. He never fails to point out how spoiled Harry has become, even though he would trade places in a minute. And he is delighted with his own inventiveness when he comes up with 'the plan.' It kept me and my bad cold company, and as always, Garth Williams' illustrations brought back that magic time to me - the time of pleasurable childhood reading.

[Heather O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to The Cricket In Times Square. Chester Cricket has moved back to his home in Connecticut. One day a Robin comes and finds Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat and tells them that Chester needs them in Connecticut because people are planning to destroy the meadow where he and a bunch of other animals live. Tucker and Harry travel to Connecticut and help figure out a way to save the meadow from housing development.

This book was just as cute and sweet as the first book. I was reading it to my boys (10 & 8) and they both enjoyed it and looked forward to when we were reading it. I think that I might have liked this one more than the first book. This book introduced to many other animals and we got to know Tucker and Harry more (Chester played a much smaller role in this book). There were many funny parts to the book and funny is good for my boys. There are other books in the series, but I think that we may take a break from them.

[Claudia Cheyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A robin flying around in the Times Square subway station catches the attention of Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse. John Robin was sent by Chester Cricket to find his friends and bring them to the meadow in Connecticut the cricket calls home. Something terrible is about to happen and the wildlife critters need help. They are counting on Tucker to come up with an idea that will save their habitat from the digger that showed up to begin the project of building an apartment complex which will take over their beautiful meadow located in a small town.
Another charming story of these likeable characters who depend on each other in troubled times. Chester gets to show his friends what it is like to live in the country. Harry finds out what it is like to become someone's pet house cat. Tucker discovers a possible solution to the problem just in the nick of time.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book with all our favorite characters from The Cricket in Times Square and a few new ones for good measure. Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat are summoned to Connecticut to help Chester Cricket save the meadow that he calls home from developers who want to build an apartment complex where the beautiful Old Meadow is located. The way Tucker and Co. help the meadow inhabitants and the humans across the road to save what they all need is really a fun read. My grandsons loved it and now we are going to read Harry Cat's Pet Puppy. I love George Selden's ability to make the characters important to the readers and gives them such wonderful personalities throughout his stories. Recommend to one and all !!!

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sequel to "A Cricket in Times Square" was interesting, but for me, it was not quite as interesting. The storyline was not as unique, and the plot didn't seem as compelling. I did quite like the description at the end of Ellen Hadley's feelings and actions "the night of the wonderful day" (pg 154). I thought it was very well written.

Although the edition I selected appears to be the same, my copy has 167 pages, not 176. I borrowed it from University of Alaska, Juneau. Seemed an odd book for a university library to have in it's collection, but I am glad they did. The copy was a "First printing, 1969" and predates ISBN numbers, etc.

[Rebecca The Files of Mrs. E, · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful sequel to A Cricket in Times Square. It was just as precious as the first one. Chester has sent for Tucker the mouse and Harry the cat to come to Connecticut to help him with a problem with his Old Meadow. Even though I knew it was a children's book and so nothing too bad could happen, I honestly found myself so stressed out I had to take a break. I appreciated both the innocence of the novel on one hand, but the fact that it took children's literature so seriously on the other, offering children a real story that involved them at a serious level.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's really amazing how George can take the characters from his classic, and write another classic. How often does that happen? I found it just as enjoyable as the first. Even without New York as a back drop, it was interesting and entertaining and I liked how the countryside's problems were important to the characters from the city. It was missing something to garner more stars, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

*** 3 STARS ***

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat must travel to Connecticut to help Chester Cricket and his friends save the Old Meadow where they live. Delightful sequel to "The Cricket in Times Square" with new animal and human friends for the city pals to meet. Beautifully written with wonderfully descriptive passages about the joys of spending the summer outside playing with friends and enjoying the beauty of nature. I must say this book brought back very happy memories from my childhood that made me smile.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neighbor gave away a box of vintage books and I picked up this 1969 edition, mostly for the exquisite pen-and-ink drawings by Garth Williams. The story is delightful--all the animals stop a development on a neighborhood meadow. It's funny that the solution is to fool the humans into believing the land is historical. (Chester the cricket notes they are lying!) As a child, I loved the first, original story by Selden, A Cricket in Times Square.

Note: A lot of gender stereotypes, sadly.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I could give this 3.5 stars instead of 4. Read this aloud to my children. We didn’t know there was a sequel to a Cricket in Times Square, which we read in the fall (and also years ago), but I recently came across this book. Anyhow, it was nice to visit with the characters again. The story line was good and had a happy ending. A little disappointed in the deceit, but it also gave us an opportunity to talk about it (and how the author could’ve solved Chester’s problem without it).

[Dena Atchley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Cricket in Times Square was one of my favorites growing up, but for whatever reason, I never explored what came next. After reading Times Square recently to my boys (who also loved it), we were curious as to what adventures the characters would have next. We were not disappointed! I'm glad I finally read this one. A great story, with a few new characters, and the same beloved friends we came to know in the first book. A fun adventure!

[Anna Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I got through childhood without reading the sequel to A Cricket in Time Square! When I found my boyfriend's childhood copy on his bookshelf, he lost me for the afternoon- it was a cup of tea and catch-up reading for me. A trip to the country, a gang of environmentally-conscious (or NIMBY...) kids, and Garth Williams' signature illustrations made for a lovely visit to the early days of my bookwormhood. :) Is there anything quite as satisfying as a well-used cloth-bound chapter book?