Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme, written by Avery Monsen and illustrated by Abby Hanlon. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette. 2022. $22.99 ages 4 and up

 

"See, Chester loved rhyming, in poem or song.
It always felt right, but today it felt ... 
... not right. VERY not right.

He tried not to panic. He played it real cool
and picked up his backpack and walked to his ... 
... learning place with teachers 
and stuff."

You won't want to skip past the endpapers when you read this to your kids. They won't let you! Abby Hanlon has filled both front and back with images that are a two-word rhyme. And, rhyming is definitely what this priceless book encourages. But Chester has lost his ability to rhyme. 

He is bewildered by the loss; but, just can't seem to get it right. Every single page is an invitation to let little ones show their rhyming prowess. They will be shouting out help for Chester from the get-go, while also being entertained with wordplay that provides a suitable meaning for the word he is trying to remember.  He just can't seem to get it together. 

On his way to school he passes scenes and characters that will be familiar to kids who have experience with nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Astute observation will lead little ones back to the endpapers to find many of the same images there. It might be fun to check to see if each one can be found within the book's pages. Obviously, there will be much conversation when you do that. 

Upon arrival in his classroom, his friends try to help him. They try showing him a number of items that do rhyme; he just cannot come up with the right answer. Nothing works. Chester is frustrated by his lack of success. When school ends and Chester begins the long walk home, his pace is slow. Seeing community workers doing what they do best, Chester wonders what might happen if he cannot solve his rhyming problem. It is what he does best. It isn't until he decides not to worry so much that things fall right back into place for him. 

"So maybe I don't need to be quite so stressed 
if I give it my all but I'm not at my ... 

... tippy-top peak performance.

And easy as that, Chester's problem was done
when he realized that playing with words could be ... 

FUN!"

Abby Hanlon's illustrations are done in gouache and colored pencil, and are a perfect match to the fun created for the text of this charming and impressive book. The page turns are perfect for allowing kids a chance to make a guess at the rhymes. There are so many fine details to enjoy. They offer clues that don't seem to help.  Full of humor and action, the artwork has real appeal.