This "sunny" tale of mouse friendships features rambunctious Lilly (of the purple plastic purse). In a boxed review, PW said, "every sentence is either downright funny or dense with playful, deadpan humor." Ages 4-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

K-Gr 2 Chester is a child of rigid habits. From the way he ties his shoes to what he has for breakfast, he knows exactly how things ought to be done and tolerates no deviations. His friend, Wilson, shares his attitudes and his set routines, and the two are completely satisfied with the way they have arranged their lives. Although Chester's father is mildly disparaging of their obsessive actions, nothing happens to disturb them until Lilly moves into the neighborhood. Lilly is a whirlwind of wacky behavior. While Chester and Wilson cut their sandwiches into neat diagonals, Lilly uses a cookie cutter to make stars and flowers out of hers. Gradually, the two little stuffed shirts and free-swinging Lilly learn to accept each other and reshape all their prejudices to fit a trio, but an amusing surprise is waiting for them, and for the readers, on the last page. Henkes' charming cartoons are drawn with pen-and-ink, washed over with cheerful watercolors. They give witty expressions to his characters. The children's eyes, for instance, are drawn only with dots and tiny lines, but are nevertheless laden with meaning. Children will make Chester's Way their own. Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, McKinney, Tex. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Chester, a mouse, is almost too good: he does everything just so--from double-knotting his shoes to carrying a first-aid kit. His friend Wilson is just like him; they are always together. When Lilly, an imaginative hellion, moves in next door, they find her too uproarious to play with--till the day she scares away some bullies who are pestering them; but when they finally get to know Lilly, they find her creativity makes life more interesting--and, of course, she has something to learn from them as well. The reversal of the stereotype here is hardly novel, but Henkes' pungent dialogue is amusing, and his illustrations engaging. Using two or three vignettes per page, he represents his characters mouse-size, which emphasizes what comically tidy, particular little people Chester and Wilson are. This should double well as an easy reader. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Ages 3-5. Young children sometimes revel in being alike, a trait that best friends Chester and Wilson share. And doing things exactly their way means that when a new girl named Lilly shows up with her own way of doing things, Chester and Wilson will have nothing to do with her-- until the day she bails them out of a close scrape with some mean, bigger kids. Afterward, two friends become three, with Lilly introducing the pair to some of her special ways, while at the same time adopting some of their habits. With a light touch, the story conveys the importance of tolerance and an open mind. Henkes' pen-and-wash pictures cast this trio of pals as mice children, whose expressions range from demure to comical. The action unfolds mostly through miniature sketches paired with a relevant block of text. An affectionate look at peer relationships. DMW.