Melanie Watt is NOT the author of this book—Chester, her plump calico cat with the big red marker, is. Mouse is NOT the star of the story. Chester uses his red marker to edit the story, sending Mouse on a vacation: "Hasta la vista, Mousie!" Mouse returns from Mexico with a big bulldog. Chester uses the power of the pen to make the dog vegetarian. Melanie and Mouse try to take back control, but Chester edits himself a perfectly Chester-filled day. Melanie rains on his parade, so Chester writes THE END. When Melanie capitulates and makes Chester the star, he's not the least bit happy with the wardrobe. Canadian creator of Scaredy Squirrel, Watt has concocted an excellent and decidedly silly addition to the meta-textual picture-book canon. Chester is a cheeky and delightful author/hero. He's even conveniently marked a place on the cover of his book for an award sticker. Highly recommended. (Picture book. 5-8)

PreS-K-While the conceit behind this book is quite clever, the presentation will be puzzling to young children and won't be of interest to those who are old enough to "get it." Watt begins writing a story about a mouse that lives in the country. However, her cat, Chester, wants the story to be about him, so he takes a red marker in paw and begins to write his own tale in addition to, and sometimes instead of, the author's. The book needs to be read in two voices (the author's and the cat's) in order to make sense to young listeners; but even then, there is not enough plot to garner their interest, and the concept will require too much explanation. The "story" is merely about the pair's test of wills. Charming pencil and watercolor illustrations, assembled digitally, depict Chester as a pudgy tabby and the mouse as tiny and gray. The chances of this book being requested more than once are remote.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.