It’s not often that the combination of picture book and haiku get “mashed-up.” Andrew Clements used a series of haikus to tell his story, Dogku but as endearing as the book is, those were more a series of poems fit to describe the dog and his family. In Won Ton, Wardlaw is able to tell the story using only haiku and it doesn’t seem stilted or strained—not that Clements’ did, it was wonderful, too.
There’s nothing revolutionary about the story. Won Ton, a cat, finds himself in an animal shelter, is finally adopted by a family, reluctantly settles in and becomes the “ruler of the roost.” Don’t get me wrong, he is a cat of great personality and definite opinions. He’s very “cat-like” and engaging.
It’s the haiku though, that makes the whole thing work. The short, precise form fits perfectly with the cat’s “thoughts” and actions. It will also appeal to those youngsters who need shorter but fulfilling texts. All in all, just like the boy in the book, you’ll be beguiled by Won Ton, a new friend you’ll want to visit over and over again.
Posted by: Eileen
Having always been a big fan of the silly and humorous poetry of Shel Silverstein, you can imagine my delight to discover a new book of 145 of his unpublished poems. Mr. Silverstein died in 1999 and I was certain that would end the publication of any more of his iconic white covered poetry books.
I have always found the traditional Mother Goose ditties to be dated and old-fashioned. As cute as some of the rhymes might be, who knows what a peck of pickled peppers is? Who knows about maids a-courting or maids a-waiting? What are curds and whey? What are swine and farthings? Well, along has come a great new ‘recycled’ version of Mother Goose, filled with hilarious earth-friendly bits of rhyming wisdom. 
I love October! The weather turns cold, the fall colors are in full swing and I get to recommend monster books all month long! Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich is one of my favorites. You can’t go wrong with short, illustrated poems with titles like: The Creature from the Black Lagoon Doesn’t Wait an Hour before Swimming, The Invisible Man Gets a Haircut, and Count Dracula Doesn’t Know He’s Been Walking Around All Night with Spinach in his Teeth.
One of the main things that causes a poem to be great is if it is true. It doesn’t need to be epic, or shocking, or about global events, it just needs to be real.
This story involves a fierce hurricane at sea in the Caribbean in about 1509 when the Spanish were exploring and conquering the new world. A pirate ship goes down and the three survivors are a boy who had been taken captive and made to work on the ship, the pirate captain and his prisoner, the cruel governor of Venezuela who killed many natives and sold some into slavery. The boy called Quebrado by the pirate, finds a home with the Indians on the island where the hurricane has left him and warns them about the pirate and the governor. Quebrado also becomes a friend of a fisherman, Narido, and the girl he loves, Caucubu. Caucubu’s family want her to marry a powerful cacique but she and Narido have been close since they were both little and they want to marry.
Matt Pin lives what seems an ordinary life for a 7th grader—he has tried out for his school’s baseball team and is on his way to being its star pitcher, he has parents who love him, and a little brother who adores him. But Matt is not an ordinary boy, not exactly. Born in Vietnam to a local mother, and an American-soldier father who took off as soon as his Tour of Duty was up, Matt witnessed the bombings and brutalities of the War first-hand. His mother had him airlifted to the States, where a wonderful couple adopted him. Now two years later, Matt is haunted by the memories of his biological mother’s ‘abandonment,’ of the bombs dropped on him, and of the wounded little brother he had to leave behind.
This delightful book offers a series of free form poems written from a puppy’s point of view. These poems, accompanied by sweet illustrations, are certain to melt any dog lover’s heart. Beginning on the day he is born and continuing throughout the book, the puppy “speaks” of his likes, his dislikes and, of course, the fact that he didn’t do it! The reader learns that he has no desire to have a silly dog name like Fluffy, he likes to drool, he doesn’t like thunder, he prefers people food, he likes to get muddy but doesn’t like baths and he most definitely would like to be able to sleep wherever he wants. You will probably catch yourself smiling more than once as you read your way through these heartwarming puppy poems.
Diana loves her yellow house with the white shutters, the maple tree in the front yard and her room with the midnight blue walls. She loves stars, writing poetry and her dad’s jokes. She also loves playing with her best friend Rose. One day her dad stops joking and her mom stops smiling because her father has lost his job. Diana is devastated to learn that they will need to move in with her Grandpa Joe who lives six hours away.
Who has never dreamed of finding buried treasure? When the summer of 1966 started it was the last thing the 13-year-old Lyza would have dreamt possible. But, in fact, that’s how she spent most days—and nights–of her summer vacation.
