Chester

WE LOVE THIS BOOK. I have read it at bedtime every night for 2 weeks. My son thinks it should be released on DVD and I think maybe that's a good idea!
Ayano Imai is both a childrens book illustrator and author. She takes classic phrases such as "Counting Sheep" or "The Grass is Greener" and breathes new life through them to tell enchanting stories.

Her first book, The 108th Sheep is a fantasy, bedtime story for little ones who have trouble falling asleep. Instead of becoming self absorbed in her own sleeplessness, a little girl becomes preoccupied with helping one of those poor little sheep she has been counting. Was it all a dream?

I picked up Chester because I am in love with the art. Ayano studied mineral pigment painting in Japan which, I believe is something like watercolor. Very soft, yet with natural imperfections.

Chester is the story of a little dog who becomes neglected when his family is too busy with work and school. They forget to take him for his walk and heartbroken and lonely, he decides to set out to find himself a new home. He is turned away by the forest birds and then taken in by a rich lady who treats him like a toy. In the end he discovers that his old home wasn't so bad afterall. He heads back to find that the family had been searching for him ever since he ran away. They are very sorry they had taken him for granted and "After that day, everything was different. He was a member of the family and was taken for walks at least three times a day!"
With Earth Day looming, this is a reminder that we must not take for granted all the beautiful living things that we love. We must take the time to nurture and cherish them.