Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw

A collection of 17 syllable poems (senryu, like haiku) tells the story of an adopted shelter cat. His new owner calls him Won Ton. Read his story to discover Won Ton's real name.

What I thought: I loved it. I'm not really a cat fan in real life, but I like cat picture books, poetry, etc. I can't resist a book that makes use of Japanese poetic forms. A wonderful story. My favorite poems are "Dogs have hair. Cats have fur" and "Your Tummy..." I love the illustrations especially those of won Ton. They have bold lines and saturated color. My favorite is Won Ton wanting attention and Won Ton on the boy's tummy.

Story Time Themes: Cats, Japan (Haiku)

(Illus. Eugene Yelchin. Henry Holt, 2011)