Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku

Teachers’ Guide for
Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku
by Lee Wardlaw
Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Ages 5 and up

“Wardlaw has a fine understanding of the feline mind,
and each poem packs a big impact…
a surprisingly powerful story in verse.”
  – Publisher’s Weekly

“Wardlaw’s terse, traditional verse captures catness from every angle, while Yelchin’s…illustrations telegraph cat-itude with every
stretch and sinuous slink. Perfect pussycat poetry
for anyone who has ever loved a shelter cat.”
                            – Kirkus, starred review

Both the tightly constructed lines and elegant, playful illustrations
unerringly imagine a cat’s world…
[Wardlaw] creates a lovable, believable character
in this wry, heartwarming title that’s sure to find wide acceptance
in the classroom and beyond.
                                    – Booklist, starred review

  About the Author

  Lee Wardlaw’s first spoken word was “kitty.” Since then, she’s
  owned more than two dozen cats (not all at the same time!) and
  published more than two dozen award-winning books for young
  readers, including 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents and 101 Ways to
  Bug Your Teacher. She lives in Santa Barbara, California with her
  husband, teenage son, and (of course) three cats.
  www.leewardlaw.com


 
 
  About the Illustrator

  Eugene Yelchin is a Russian-born artist. He illustrated Who Ate All
  the Cookie Dough? by Karen Beaumont and The Cobbler’s Holiday
  or Why Ants Don’t Wear Shoes by Musharraf Ali Farooqi. With his
  wife, Mary Kuryla, he co-wrote Heart of a Snowman and Ghost Files:
  The Haunting Truth, which he also illustrated. He lives with his
  family in Topanga, California.
 www.eugeneyelchinbooks.com




  Author Interview

1.How did you get the idea for this book?

“When one of our two beloved cats passed away, my young
son and I went to a local animal shelter to pick out a new
kitten.  We interviewed several of them, and it was like some-thing out of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’:  This one is too shy, this one too skittery, that one bites, that one is napping
in his litter box (ew!)…but this one is just right.  So Won Ton’s story is based on the journey we took with our new family member, from the ‘choosing’ to the car ride home, to the ‘naming’, to the first subbed meal – and beyond.”

2.Haiku is deceptively simple. What advice do you have for writers of the form?

“Writing haiku is like cupping a moth between your hands. You are capturing a moment, stilling its wings to better see it, observe it, appreciate it. So haiku is all about noticing – with eyes and ears wide open – what is happening before you right here, right now.  That takes patience and practice – but it’s worth it!


“For teachers wanting to introduce haiku to their students, I highly recommend Patricia Donegan’s book Haiku (Tuttle
          Publishing). In her book, Donegan talks about the Seven Keys
to Writing Haiku:  Form, Image, Kigo, Here and Now, Feeling, Surprise and Compassion. I’ll discuss these keys in more detail later in this Guide.”

3.Who are some of your favorite poets? What have you learned from them?

“I enjoy Valerie Worth, Ellen Kelley, Thalia Chaltas, Kristine
O’Connell George, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Joan Bransfield
Graham, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, April Halprin Wayland,
Shel Silvertein, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer…the list is endless! 
As for what I’ve learned from them?  Observe! Notice! And play!”

4.What can your fans look forward to next?

101 Ways to Bug Your Friends and Enemies (ages 10-14)
is scheduled for publication September, 2011; I also have a rhyming picture book for toddlers and preschoolers due out
in the spring of 2012. It’s called Red, White and Boom! and
it’s about the many ways families across the U.S.A. celebrate
the 4th of July.


 Pre-reading 

What is haiku? Do you think it is easy or hard to write? Why?


  Discussion Guide

What does the shelter have? What does it NOT have? What does our cat hero mean when he says, “or so I’ve been told.”
How are the cats alone but together in the shelter? Describe what feelings you think Won Ton has.
What’s special about visiting hours?
Explain why the cat thinks there is “no contest” with dogs.
Do you agree? Make a pros and cons list for each pet.
Do all the children during visiting hours treat the cats kindly? How do you know?
How hard is it to name a pet? How do you decide? What name does the boy choose? Do you think it’s a good name or not?
How does Won Ton feel about the new place? What details prove this? Have you ever been nervous or afraid to try something new?  Why?
What does it mean to “snub” something? What foods do you snub?
What habits does Won Ton have that you like or dislike?  Would you like him to live with you?  Why or why not?
Where is Won Ton’s favorite place to sleep? Where is yours?
What happens when the boy’s sister plays with Won Ton? Do cats usually like little children or not? Why?
What does your “nose know?” What are good snacks for cats? Which ones are disappointing? What’s your favorite snack?
Describe the types of things that the boy and Won Ton like to do together. How do cats get the attention of their owners? How do you get the attention of your parents?
What is the best part of owning a pet? What can be difficult?
In the end, what does Won Ton tell the boy that’s important?

Reading

All stories (even ones written in haiku!) have three parts to them: a beginning, a middle, and an end. As you re-read the story, fill out the following graphic organizer on the most important things to remember about Won Ton’s story.
   
In the beginning…
In the middle….
In the end…


Writing

  Try writing your own haiku or senryu poem. Tell the story of your
  own pet (or dream pet) in a series of at least five poems. Read the
  author’s note at the opening of the book for more information about
  this form of poetry.


  Math

  Solve these word problems:

1.If Won Ton, Pumpkin and Gypsy each eat a cup of food a day, and they spend two weeks at the shelter before they’re adopted, how many cups will they eat in total?

2.If  Gypsy spends an extra week at the shelter (she has a cold, poor baby), how many more cups of food will you need?

3.Imagine you received $75 for your birthday to pay for adopting a cat.  If the adoption fee is $35.00, and it costs $15.00 to have her spayed and $20.00 for her first shots, do you have enough to adopt?

4.If a cat sleeps 18 hours a day, how many hours are left to play?



  Art

  Inspired by the sharp angles and lines of Eugene Yelchin’s
  illustrations, create a portrait of your own pet (or dream pet) on
  the flat surface of a paper plate. Paint or color the ruffled edges to
  look like a wooden frame. Hang your favorite haiku/senryu beneath
  it for a hallway display.



  Community Service Project

  Host a bake sale, carwash or other fundraiser to benefit a local pet 
  shelter or Humane Society. Be sure to call the shelter and ask what




  type of donations they need. Care packs for newly adopted pets are
  often welcome.


 
  Science

  Both poetry and science rely on close observation. As you work on 
  creating a haiku or senryu, use the following chart to make direct
  observations of your pet or topic:


Sense:
What you notice about your topic:
Details you can SEE (color, shape, size, movement)


Details you can HEAR (volume, repetition, tone)


Details you can SMELL (strong, pleasant, sharp, warm, etc.


Details you can TASTE (sweet, sour, tangy, bitter)


Details you can TOUCH (scratchy, silky fuzzy, soft)







 

  The Seven Keys to Writing Haiku
  From Haiku by Patricia Donegan

1.Form:  A haiku poem should have three lines with or
without a seventeen syllable count. (Five syllables in the
first line, seven in the second, five in the third.) A good rule
of thumb is to make your haiku one breath long.

2.Image:  Your poem should have a descriptive image. For
example, instead of ‘a cat’, write ‘a black cat in the grass.’

3.Kigo:  Kigo is a ‘season’ word. Haiku always refers to
nature in some way, hinting at the day’s season or weather.

4.Here and Now:  Write from a real observation – an experience or a memory of an experience – instead of from your imagination.  Remember: you are noticing – and writing about noticing – a present moment.

5.  Feeling:  Show, don’t tell.  Your haiku should not explain;
      use an image to show your feelings.

5.Surprise:  Haiku should have an ‘ah’! or an ‘a-ha!’ moment:
Something that wakes the reader up.

6.Compassion:  Haiku expresses open-heartedness toward
living things.



This guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading
specialist and children’s author. To learn more about Tracie and
her books, visit tracievaughnzimmer.com. For hundreds of other guides Tracie has created, visit: wildgeeseguides.blogspot.com/

Mother Poems

Mother Poems

words and pictures by Hope Anita Smith

About the book:

A young girl thinks of her mom as a superhero, a doctor, her North Star. She feels loved in her mother’s arms and capable of conquering the world. But when her beloved role model dies, she cannot even cry; her sadness is too overwhelming. As she struggles to manage her grief, she must learn how to move on while keeping the memory of her mother very much alive inside her.

Hope Anita Smith uses her remarkable talent to explore a personal yet universal subject: the death of a parent. Through the eyes of a child and then a young woman, these poignant poems, together with stunning folk-art images, capture the complicated feelings of a young person who shows great hope, strength and will to overcome.

About the author:

Hope Anita Smith is the author of The Way a Door Closes and Keeping the Night Watch. A professional storyteller and in-school poet, Hope teaches poetry writing workshops to all grade levels. She lives in Los Angeles, where she writes, knits, and creates paper collage stationery and illustration.

Author interview:

1. How did you find poetry?

I found poetry when I was very young.  I learned poems from God's Trombones by James Weldon Johnson and performed them at church.  That led to Antebellum Sermon by Paul Laurence Dunbar and The Madam Poems by Langston Hughes.  I loved learning and reciting them.  I also loved that poetry told wonderful stories in such a small space on the page.

2. What do you wish kids knew about poetry?

 I wish kids knew that poetry should not be hard to understand.  It is not rocket science.  And I want them to know that poetry is a great way to look at words.  Through metaphor, simile, personification, etc. poems can bring such power and meaning to words.

1. What can your fans look forward to next?

 My fans (and I love you all) can look forward to a mid-grade novel and a couple of fun picture books.

Discussion guide:

1. Describe the relationship between the narrator and her mother. What images does the author use to show how she feels about her?
2. What is the narrator’s imagination in the poem “Sound Advice?” What advice have you received from you mom and grandma?
3. What give the narrator the blues? What gives you the blues? How can you chase them away?
4. What do you know about the narrator’s mom by the way she speaks?
5. How does the girl imitate her mother? Do children always imitate their parents?
6. How do the grandma and mother do things differently? Is it true for you as well? Why do you think so?
7. Find examples of figurative language (simile and metaphor) that help the reader understand the girl’s relationship with her mother.
8. What happened while the narrator slept? How does she feel?
9. How is death described in the poem “Duped?” How would you describe death?
10. How does the narrator try to find her mother? Do you think she understands the permanence of death? How can children possibly understand this kind of loss?
11.  What does the narrator mean when she says, “We both know/good daughters are hard to find.” in the poem “Let’s Make a Deal?”
12.  When were there flowers in the narrator’s world? How do you think she feels about them? How do people try to show they care? What actually helps, do you think?
13. The narrator feels safe and loved when her mother braids her hair. What ordinary moments make your mom feel close to you?
14. What is the structure of the poem “Words?” Why do you think the author chose to use this format?
15. How does the narrator try to get her mother back? How will she feel when she realizes, eventually, that she can’t?
16. What is Rule #1?  What is your number one rule?
17.  Compare and contrast the narrator’s mother’s kitchen to her Aunt Nedra’s. Whose kitchen would you like to learn how to cook inside of? Is the narrator hungry for more than food?
18. What childhood things does the narrator miss out on by having lost her mother so young?  What does she mean when she says, “that I’d all but hung the moon/ each time a tooth fell out of my mouth.”
19. How does the narrator feel about her friend’s treatment of their mothers? Is it inevitable that daughters and mothers have this difficult time through the teen years?
20.  How was the narrator “Cheated” by her dreams? In the bible, what did Lot’s wife do?
21.  Find out the “Q and A” on you and your mother or first caregiver. Why do you think it’s important to know what you were like?
22.  What phrases are in your own mother’s “rule book?”  Why do you think there are so many euphemisms for death like “losing someone?”  Do they make things better or worse?
23.  How does memory change over time for the narrator? What do you remember about someone you have lost? Is it concrete or like clouds? Why do you think memory is so difficult to understand?
24.  What is the “Dangerous Game” the narrator is playing? Have you ever played one too? How is repetition used to an intense effect in this poem?
25.  Why do you think the building of a Christmas tree is so clear for the narrator? How does she build the memories of her mother? What has she learned about herself?

Projects:

Reading:

Poems are meant to be read aloud so take turns reading one of the poems from the book aloud in pairs. Afterwards, discuss what the poem means to you. Try to make connections to the poem from something in your own life, or to another story you’ve read or to the writing itself.

Writing:

Inspired by “What My Mom Says” write a poem about your own mother and her list of words for you. Play with simile, metaphor and line breaks as Hope Anita Smith did to bring your poem to life.

Art:

Study the torn-paper collage of Hope Anita’s beautiful illustrations for the collection. Create one yourself to accompany your poem.

Lee Bennett Hopkin:s Poetry Interview

Lee Bennett Hopkins

                                              

Lee Bennett Hopkins is really the father of children's poetry in this country. Recently Lee was named the 15th winner of the prestigious National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children for 2009! Congratulations, Lee!
If you've been reading contemporary children's poetry you have read one of Lee's books, of this I am certain. I want to THANK Lee for encouraging so many new voices into our field and for being such a disciple to the cause of poetry for children. What do you wish every child knew about poetry?

I wish every child would get to know that there are poems about almost anything

one can think of...from dinosaurs to dreams...from sun to spaceships...from family members to food!  Also, that poetry can be a source of both pleasure and

comfort.  Nothing -- NO THING -- can ring and rage through hearts and minds as does this body of literature.

 

Can you describe your process for creating a collection of your own poems or an anthology?

My trademark in creating anthology (and I've done more than anyone in the history of children's literature) is to provide a balance of voices, a balance of talent.

 

I begin with theme, for example war.  In AMERICA AT WAR (McElderry Books), I  decided to view  war from a historical perspective -- from the American Revolution to the Iraq War.

 

In the forthcoming (Spring 20l0) SHARING THE SEASONS (McElderry Books), illustrated by David Diaz, I wanted to bring exciting new works to readers painting the seasons with words and pictures in a completely unique way.  I truly feel David and I have created the ultimate book on the four seasons.  This huge collection was years in the making.  (And this is the very first time I am talking about it!)

 What advice do you have for young poets?

Read read read and study study study the great poets of the 20th century in America. Begin with the National Council of Teachers (NCTE) Excellence in Poetry for Children Award winners.  What a cache:  David McCord, Karla Kuskin,

Myra Cohn Livingston, Eve Merriam, X. J. Kennedy, et. al.  From l977-2010 there have been l5 recipients.  This is a course in poetry unto itself.

 

I end with...Happy Poetry-ing.

THANKS, Lee! And thanks for literally holding my hand before my first big poetry reading at ALA too (I thought I might faint!)