Name: Chester Cricket

Scientific Identification: Gryllidae “True Crickets”

Home: Rural Connecticut
Relationships: Tucker Mouse (friend), Harry Cat (friend), Mario
Bellini (friend)

Chester Cricket is a young cricket that accidentally comes to Times Square from Connecticut after
getting inside of a picket basket. He is found by Mario Bellini, who brings him to his family’s news-
stand to keep him as a pet and because crickets are viewed as being lucky. He becomes friends with
Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat, and they have many adventures. Although he admires the beauty of
Times Square, he also thinks it is overwhelming.
In Times Square he discovers that he has perfect music memory, being able to chirp very complex
and difficult musical pieces that he hears on the radio. He begins to chirp out concerts for guests to
the newsstands twice a day, much to the delight of the Bellinis. However, he grows disheartened,
and eventually decides to go back to Connecticut.
 Name: Tucker Mouse
Scientific Identification: Mus Musculus (House Mouse)
Home: Times Square
Relationships: Chester Cricket (friend), Harry Cat (friend), Mario
Bellini (friend)

Tucker Mouse is a friend of Harry Cat, with whom he spends his time. They live near the Bellini
newsstand, and forage in the Square for food every night. He is a very miserly mouse, and keeps a
collection of coins that New Yorkers dropped. He, along with Harry, suggest that Chester stay a
while in New York and show him around the Square when he agrees.
After Mario gives Chester a cricket cage, Chester lets Tucker sleep in it with dollar bills as padding.
After Chester accidently eats a two-dollar bill in his sleep, Tucker reluctantly pays the Bellinis back
with coins from his collection to keep Mario from having to pay instead. A while later, while cele-
brating Chester’s two-month stay in New York, he accidently sets fire to the newsstand while danc-
ing. At the end of the book he and Harry take Chester to Grand Central Station and see him leave for
Connecticut.
 Name: Harry Cat
Scientific Identification: Felis Catus “House Cats”
Home: Times Square
Relationships: Tucker Mouse (friend), Chester Cricket (friend),
Mario Bellini (friend)

Harry Cat is a friend of Tucker Mouse, with whom he spends his time. They live near the Bellini
newsstand, and forage in the Square for food every night. He is a quiet, calm cat, and tries to keep
Tucker’s more energetic personality in balance. He serves as a helpful guide and true friend to Ches-
ter.
At the end of the book, he escorts Chester to Grand Central Station after the cricket decides he wants
to return to his home in Connecticut. As the subway leaves with Chester Cricket, he and Tucker
Mouse discuss the possibility of traveling to Connecticut to see Chester the following summer.
 Name: Mario Bellini
Scientific Identification: Homo Sapiens (Humans)
Home: Times Square
Relationships: Tucker Mouse (friend), Harry Cat (friend), Mario
Bellini (friend)

Mario Bellini is the son Mama and Papa Bellini. He is very kind and compassionate, and because of
that is able to develop a special connection with Chester Cricket. After finding him in a pile of news-
papers, he becomes determined to take care of his new friend. He buys Chester a very nice cricket
cage, and also makes sure to learn about what foods crickets eat.
When Chester accidentally eats the two-dollar bill, he decides to work harder to replace the money
rather than get rid of Chester. He also defends Chester when the cricket is blamed for the fire at the
newsstand. When he discovers that Chester has gone back to his home in Connecticut, he declares
that he is glad because he knows that the cricket will be happier there.
 Name: Mama Bellini
Scientific Identification: Homo Sapiens (Humans)
Home: Times Square
Relationships: Mario Bellini (son), Papa Bellini (husband)

Mama Bellini is an immigrant from Italy, and the co-owner of the Bellini newsstand with her hus-
band. She deeply loves her family, and wants them to always make the best decisions for both their
well-being and their financial stability with the newsstand. She doesn’t want to keep a cricket, and it
takes her son to convince her when Chester first arrives.
She gets very angry when Chester eats the two-dollar bill, and demands Mario get rid of him. How-
ever, she agrees to let Chester stay if Mario pays back the money. When Tucker leaves the coins for
Mario, she honors her promise to let Chester stay. However, when the fire destroys the newspapers,
she immediately blames Chester and only lets him stay after he chirps out her favorite song.
 Name: Papa Bellini
Scientific Identification: Homo Sapiens (Humans)
Home: Times Square
Relationships: Mario Bellini (son), Mama Bellini (wife)

Papa Bellini, like his wife, is an Italian immigrant and co-owner of the Bellini’s newsstand. Although
very stern and serious at times, he is typically more supportive of his son’s desires. He is open to the
idea of keeping Chester Cricket, and doesn’t tend to act irrationally or lose control like his wife occa-
sionally does.