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Cover of Cricket in Times Square

Cricket in Times Square

George Selden

226 pages

A gentle, musical love letter to unlikely friendships and the hidden magic tucked away in the bustling heart of a big city.

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What it feels like

Reading this book feels like stepping into a sunlit, nostalgic version of New York City where magic hides in the mundane. The narrative unfolds at a steady, comforting pace, wrapping the reader in a cozy atmosphere that contrasts the overwhelming bustle of Times Square with the quiet intimacy of a subway newsstand. It is a story steeped in warmth, driven by the gentle emotional texture of homesickness giving way to profound, unlikely friendships. The prose is classic and sensory, filling the ear with the imaginary chirps of a country cricket and the rumble of subway trains. It delights readers who crave timeless, gentle animal fantasies, offering a heartwarming reminder that art and friendship can bring a moment of perfect stillness to the busiest places on earth.

Mood
  • cozy
  • bustling
  • heartwarming
  • nostalgic
Tone
  • earnest
  • gentle
  • warm
  • nostalgic
  • whimsical
Pace
steady
Themes
unlikely friendships · the magic of music · urban vs. rural life · found family · homesickness
The writing
Classic, gentle, and highly sensory, capturing both the loud, rhythmic bustle of the city and the quiet beauty of a musical note.
The arc
Moves from the overwhelming disorientation of being lost in a strange place to the warm comfort of found family and the bittersweet peace of returning home.
Who it's for
Readers of all ages looking for a comforting, timeless animal fantasy that celebrates kindness, music, and the quiet magic hidden in busy places.
Content notes
  • mild animal peril
  • homesickness

About the book

An updated version of the timeless children's classic featuring a business-savvy mouse, a kind alley cat, and a talented country cricket, featuring a new foreword and revisions by YA author Stacey Lee.

Tucker is a streetwise city mouse. He thought he'd seen it all. But he's never met a cricket before, which really isn't surprising, because, along with his friend Harry Cat, Tucker lives in the very heart of New York City—the Times Square subway station.

Chester Cricket never intended to leave his Connecticut meadow. He'd be there still if he hadn't followed the entrancing aroma of liverwurst right into someone's picnic basket. Now, like any tourist in the city, he wants to look around. And he could not have found two better guides—and friends—than Tucker and Harry. The trio have many adventures—from taking in the sights and sounds of Broadway to escaping a smoky fire.

Chester makes a third friend, too. It is a boy, Mario, who rescues Chester from a dusty corner of the subway station and brings him to live in the safety of his parents' newsstand. He hopes at first to keep Chester as a pet, but Mario soon understands that the cricket is more than that. Because Chester has a hidden talent and no one—not even Chester himself—realizes that the little country cricket may just be able to teach even the toughest New Yorkers a thing or two.

The Cricket in Times Square is George Selden at his best, and the new illustrations and interior images by Garth Williams make this edition a special treat.

Description from Open Library.

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