Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku

A great story for all cat lovers. It will also be very helpful as a mentore text for writing haikus.

Genre: Fantasy

Review: I would have categorized this story in Poetry, but the whole story is narrated by a cat and the cat speaks and tells us its thoughts, therefore making it a Fantasy story. It is written in a Haiku format, though, showing us poetry, but the cat tells the story of his life being

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in a shelter and then being adopted by a family and adapting to living with a family.

Character: The only good choice to choose for this story is the character and the main character in this story is the cat. The cat is a static character because we know a lot about him in the beginning being in a shelter, his life in the shelter until he is adopted, and then his life as an adopted cat. He is also static, though, because he does not change anything about himself.

Media: Graphite and gouache on watercolor pape

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The whole story of a cat’s life, from his time in the animal shelter to his new home with a little boy, is in this book, all told in haiku. Wonderful pictures and fun text, in addition to satisfying the challenging task of writing in haiku.

“Sorry about the
squishy in your shoe. Must’ve
been

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something I ate.

Letmeoutletme
outletmeoutletmeout.
Wait---let me back in!”

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Delightful illustrations and verse that capture cat behavior wonderfully. A great story also for kids relating to adopting animals from shelters.

I really enjoyed this book, Im pretty sure that every cat has a name that only they know. Wonderful use of hy ku and expressive illustrations.

Wonderful cat story told entirely in haiku. Clever and fun.

A shelter cat considers the world around him in this innovative picture-book, told entirely in senryu - a form of haiku that, according to the brief author's foreword, deals with human (or feline) foibles, rather than (as is customary with haiku) the beauties of nature. Each brief entry in his

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poetic account reveals the cat's distinctive personality, as well as his efforts to hold himself aloof in a world that can often prove dangerous or hurtful, for unwary felines. The process whereby he gradually opens up to his new life and family, after being adopted from the shelter, is documented in a sparse but poignant way.

Wardlaw obviously understands cats, and Won-Ton (or Haiku) comes across as a lovable feline indeed! I think my favorite, of the senryu presented here was the one in which our feline hero attempts to make himself understood - "I explained it loud / and clear. What part of 'meow' / don't you understand?" - as this reminded me strongly of many cats I have known and loved, who clearly had opinions on the denseness of their human beings. The artwork, done in graphite and gouache, is colorful and engaging, with plenty of slinky charm that suits its subject. All in all, a sweet little picture-book, one I recommend to young cat lovers, and to fans of the haiku form.

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A beautiful book about cat's life in animal shelter and later when he was adopted by a boy.

Great beginning poetry book. Won ton is a wary shelter cat who finds a true home, told entirely in haiku. My favorite page is
Letmeoutlerme
outlermeoutlermeout.
Wait--let me back in!

This book is written entirely in haiku. It is about a cat who is adopted and follows the cats adventures at his new home. This book is great in a classroom because it can introduce students into poetry. Students in grades 1 or 2 can benefit from this story the most.

Lee Wardaw as purrrfectly captured the voice of a cat! I love Won Ton….or should I say Haiku!

Told in Haiku, from the perspective of a shelter cat who is adopted and adjusts to a new life with a boy.

I kind of loved this. I love haiku, and I love how perfectly the attitude of the cat comes through. They were done so well, too; it didn't feel at all like the author was specifically trying to fit each sentence into a certain number of syllables—just that that's how they happened to come out.

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Fantastic.

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Delightful illustrations and verse that capture cat behavior wonderfully. A great story also for kids relating to adopting animals from shelters.

children's picture book/poetry. Would work well with older kids learning about haiku/poetry. Would work better with older kids who own cats (some things might need to be explained to people unfamiliar with cat behavior).