Hello, friends! Today, we have a fun story to share with you. It’s called “Chester’s Way,” and it’s written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. Let’s dive into the story and meet some interesting characters!
Chester is a little mouse who likes to do things his own special way. He loves playing croquet, eating peanut butter, and making his bed just right. Chester always cuts his sandwiches into triangles, gets out of bed on the same side, and ties his shoes with double knots. He even carries a tiny first-aid kit in his pocket, just in case!
Chester’s mom says he has a mind of his own, and his dad agrees. Chester’s best friend is Wilson, and they are just alike. They do everything together, like playing baseball and riding bikes. They even eat the same things and share their Christmas lists because they always want the same gifts!
Chester and Wilson are like two peas in a pod. They love going on picnics, and once, when Wilson accidentally swallowed a watermelon seed, Chester swallowed one too, just to keep him company. They dress up in matching costumes for Halloween, like salt and pepper shakers or mittens on a string.
In every season, they have fun together. In spring, they share an umbrella. In winter, they don’t throw snowballs at each other. In fall, they rake leaves together. And in summer, they remind each other to wear sunscreen.
One day, a new friend named Lilly moves into the neighborhood. Lilly is full of energy and likes to do things her own way too. She wears band-aids to look brave and talks backwards for fun. She even carries a squirt gun, just in case!
At first, Chester and Wilson aren’t sure about Lilly. They try to avoid her, but one day, Lilly helps them when some older kids are being mean. Chester and Wilson realize that Lilly is really cool, and they invite her to join their fun.
Chester, Wilson, and Lilly become great friends. They teach each other new things, like how to pop wheelies on bikes and talk backwards. They even dress up as The Three Blind Mice for Halloween!
They share everything, from umbrellas in the rain to sunscreen in the summer. They have lots of picnics and even swallow watermelon seeds together, hoping to grow watermelon plants inside them!
Just when you think the fun can’t get any better, a new friend named Victor moves into the neighborhood. What adventures will Chester, Wilson, Lilly, and Victor have together? We can only imagine!
We hope you enjoyed the story of Chester, Wilson, and Lilly. Remember, making new friends can lead to exciting adventures and lots of fun!
Friendship Circle: Gather in a circle with your classmates and share one thing you like to do your own special way, just like Chester. It could be how you eat your sandwich or a fun game you play. Listen to your friends and see if you have anything in common, like Chester and Wilson. This will help you understand how everyone is unique and how we can learn from each other.
Adventure Diary: Create a small diary or a booklet where you can draw or write about an adventure you had with a friend or family member. Think about what made it special and if you tried something new, like Chester and Lilly did. Share your adventure with the class and see if anyone else has had a similar experience.
Observation Walk: Take a walk around your neighborhood or school with a parent or teacher. Look for things that remind you of Chester’s story, like someone playing a game, sharing an umbrella, or riding a bike. Draw or write about what you see and think about how these activities bring people together, just like Chester, Wilson, and Lilly.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. I’m Katie Leclerc.
And I’m Vanessa Marano. Today, I am using American Sign Language for the deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, and we will be reading “Chester’s Way,” written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes.
Chester had his own way of doing things. “Hello, my name is Chester. I like croquet, peanut butter, and making my bed.” He always cut his sandwiches diagonally, got out of bed on the same side, and never left the house without double-knotting his shoes. Chester always had the same thing for breakfast: toast with jam and peanut butter. He also carried a miniature first-aid kit in his back pocket, just in case.
“You definitely have a mind of your own,” said Chester’s mother. “That’s one way to put it,” said Chester’s father. Chester’s best friend Wilson was exactly the same way, which is why they were best friends. Chester wouldn’t play baseball unless Wilson played, and they never swung at the first pitch or slid headfirst. Wilson wouldn’t ride his bike unless Chester wanted to, and they always used hand signals. If Chester was hungry, Wilson was too, but they rarely ate between meals.
“Some days I can’t tell those two apart,” said Wilson’s mother. “Me either,” said Wilson’s father. Chester and Wilson, Wilson and Chester. That’s the way it was. They loved to go on picnics. Once, when Wilson accidentally swallowed a watermelon seed and cried because he was afraid a watermelon plant would grow inside him, Chester swallowed one too. “Don’t worry,” said Chester. “Now, if you grow a watermelon plant, I’ll grow one too.”
Chester duplicated his Christmas list every year and gave a copy to Wilson because they always wanted the same things anyway. For Halloween, they always dressed as things that went together: salt and pepper shakers, two mittens on a string, ham and eggs. “They really are two peas in a pod,” said Chester’s mother. “Looks like it,” said Chester’s father.
In spring, Chester and Wilson shared the same umbrella. In winter, they never threw snowballs at each other. In fall, they raked leaves together. And in summer, they reminded each other to wear sunscreen, so they wouldn’t burn. Chester and Wilson, Wilson and Chester. That’s the way it was.
And then Lilly moved into the neighborhood. “I’m Lilly! I am the Queen! I like EVERYTHING!” Lilly had her own way of doing things. She wore band-aids all over her arms and legs to look brave. She talked backwards to herself sometimes, so no one would know what she was saying. “I ma Yllil.” And she never left the house without one of her nifty disguises. Lilly waved at all the cars that passed by, even if she didn’t know who was in them. And she always carried a squirt gun in her back pocket, just in case.
“She definitely has a mind of her own,” said Chester. “That’s one way to put it,” said Wilson. When Lilly asked Chester and Wilson to play, they said they were busy. When she called them on the phone, they disguised their voices and said they weren’t home. If Lilly was walking on one side of the street, Chester and Wilson crossed to the other and hid. “She’s something else,” said Chester. “Looks like it,” said Wilson.
One day, while Chester and Wilson were practicing their hand signals, some older boys rode by, popping wheelies. They circled Chester and Wilson and yelled personal remarks. Chester and Wilson didn’t know what to do. Just when they were about to give up hope, a fierce-looking cat jumped out of the bushes and frightened the older boys away. “Are you who I think you are?” Chester asked the cat. “Of course,” the cat replied. “Thank you, Lilly,” said Chester. “You’re welcome, Chester,” said Lilly. “Thank you, Lilly,” said Wilson. “You’re welcome, Wilson,” said Lilly. “I’m glad you were wearing a disguise,” said Chester. “And I’m glad you had your squirt gun,” said Wilson. “I always do,” said Lilly. “Just in case.”
Afterward, Chester invited Lilly over for lunch. “You have a Muscle Mouse cup?!” said Lilly. “Of course,” said Chester. “I do, too!” said Lilly. “Same here,” said Wilson. Chester and Wilson cut their sandwiches diagonally. Lilly asked Chester’s mother if she had cookie cutters, and she made stars, flowers, and bells. “That’s neat!” said Chester. “Wow!” said Wilson.
That night, Lilly invited Chester and Wilson to sleep over. “You have a night light?!” said Chester. “Of course,” said Lilly. “I do, too!” said Chester. “Same here,” said Wilson. Chester and Wilson wanted toast with jam and peanut butter for breakfast the next morning. “Boring,” said Lilly. “Try this instead.” “This is good!” said Chester. “Wow!” said Wilson.
After that, when Lilly asked Chester and Wilson to play, they said yes. When she called them on the phone, they had pleasant conversations. And if Lilly was walking on one side of the street, Chester and Wilson waved and ran to catch up with her. Chester and Wilson taught Lilly hand signals, and she taught them how to pop wheelies. Lilly taught Chester and Wilson how to talk backwards, “I Ma Nosliw Olleh,” and they taught her how to double-knot her shoes.
“Some days I can’t tell those three apart,” said Lilly’s mother. “Me either,” said Lilly’s father. Chester, Wilson, and Lilly, Lilly, Wilson, and Chester. That’s the way it was. For Halloween, they dressed as The Three Blind Mice. For Christmas, Lilly gave Chester and Wilson nifty disguises, and they gave her a box full of multi-colored shoelaces—extra long for double-knotting. They loved to go on picnics. When Chester and Wilson told Lilly about how they had each swallowed a watermelon seed once, Lilly swallowed three of them. “I’ll grow a watermelon plant for each of us,” she said.
In spring, Chester, Wilson, and Lilly shared the same umbrella. In winter, they never threw snowballs at each other. In fall, they raked leaves together. And in summer, they reminded each other to wear sunscreen so they wouldn’t burn. Chester, Wilson, and Lilly, Lilly, Wilson, and Chester. That’s the way it was.
And then Victor moved into the neighborhood…
So, Vanessa, what did you think?
I think that Victor, Lilly, Chester, and Wilson are going to have a great time growing watermelons inside of themselves.
I agree. I think the four of them will be good friends.
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while ensuring it is appropriate for all audiences.
