Title: Won Ton and Chopstick – A Cat and Dog tale Told in Haiku
Written by: Lee Wardlaw
Illustrated by: Eugene Yelchin
Published by: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2015
Themes/Topics: cats, dogs, haiku, pets, friends
Suitable for ages: 7-11
Hardcover, 40 pages
Opening:
It’s a fine life, Boy.
Nap, play, bathe, nap eat, repeat.
Practice makes purrfect.
Synopsis:
Won Ton has a happy life with his Boy, until… Ears perk. Fur prickles. Belly low, I creep…peek…FREEZE! My eyes full of Doom. A new puppy arrives, and nothing will be the same.Told entirely in haiku and with plenty of catitude, the story of how Won Ton faces down the enemy is a fresh and funny twist on a familiar rivalry. (Goodreads summary)
Why I like This Book:
It is fun to see Won Ton in the second in this series, so well-established with her boy-owner, well until the household decides to increase by one puppy. The text and illustrations are full of fun and make this a very fluent read, and one I immediately wanted to reread to appreciate the poetic form further. The puppy and cat characterization are spot on and the haiku strong!
It is a good addition to the many wonderful picture books about unexpected friendships and very authentic about how a cat warms up slowly to the presence of a new dog, especially a shelf cat such as Won-Ton, who knows what its like to be caged and then the only pet of an adoring child!
I especially love how goofy Yelchin has made the puppy illustrations.
Activities/Resources:
Great mentor text for the haiku poetic form (can be coupled with the prequel, Won Ton) and has a ton of great vocabulary.
I would match this with GUYKU which I reviewed here, in any unit teaching haiku. Haiku is hard to do well but simple in form and therefor a form I like to start to teach with 2nd graders.
Kidspot has a simple starter page for teaching haiku to young children.
Lee Wardlaw has a great teacher’s guide on her website for Won Ton and Chop Stick, written by Marcie Colleen.
Each week a group of bloggers reviews picture books we feel would make great educational reads. To help teachers, caregivers and parents, we have included resources and activities with each of our reviews. A complete list of the thousands of books we have reviewed can be found sorted alphabetically and by topics, here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
I love Won Ton. Will definitely have to read this new book!
It’s a very satisfactory sequel.
This book intrigues me in that I do not seem to pick up books told in verse. Th is seems so difficult I don’t even stretch myself to read them and this must be fixed right away. I am putting this book on hold at my library right now. 🙂
It’s a great place to start, Clar.
What a great share. The book sounds humorous, but I really like the idea of teaching young children the haiku form. It really works well in this book. And, I enjoyed it Guyku, another fun book.
It’s a great story as well as beautifully crafted haiku.
I love haiku and the “catitude”! Nice post!
They are fun characters!
I loved the first Won Ton book. What a great name for a character! Thanks for sharing this one.
I loved Won Ton and couldn’t wait for this one. Lee Wardlaw is amazing! Thinking of writing a picture book in haiku is daunting. It seems to strict. But she does it with charm!
I agree. I love these books! The haiku and illustrations are wonderful!