There have been many books written about cat adoption, and countless poems feature felines. Frankly, kitty poetry often falls short in describing the sheer elegance and cat-liness of this glorious creature. Adoption books often focus on the nuts and bolts of choosing and solving human's problems, and neglect the cat's purr-spective or wonderful promise of new relationships. Lee Wardlaw's latest book looks at adoption from a cat's eye view, and defines the feline in superb lyrical style in a children's gorgeous picture book that adults won't want to miss.
Pros
- Short, 32 pages
- Introduces Haiku poetry in an appealing format
- Elegant writing, wonderful author voice
- Lots of gorgeous funny and touching illustrations
- Large format hardcover "picture" book
- Educates about cat adoption
Cons
- Serious theme
- Haiku poetry may not appeal to all readers
- Adults may miss this treasure
Description
- Published by Henry Holt
- Written by Lee Wardlaw
- Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
- ISBN # 978-0-8050-8995-0
Review – Won Ton, by Lee Wardlaw and Eugene Yelchin
This book is a moving, powerful story of one cat's adoption, told through the "voice" of a shelter cat. The gorgeous illustrations by Eugene Yelchin perfectly capture the cat's perspective of shelter life, car ride to new home, and experiences adjusting to his adoptive family.
Lee Wardlaw writes the text in senryu, a form of Japanese poetry similar to Haiku, which gives the cat's tale a playful, poignant or humorous tone. For instance, the opening pages that describe this kitty's shelter existence:
Nice place they got here.
Bed. Bowl. Blankie.
Just like home!
Or so I've been told.
The cat pretends not to care about being adopted, yet of course yearns for a forever home. Please, Boy, pick me. And once chosen and named Won Ton, the cautious cat must learn to trust enough to share his real name, and heart.
This lovely book belongs in every cat lover's library. It painlessly educates children to basic cat behaviors and emotions, teaches empathy, and celebrates the gift of saving a life. Each short verse details one aspect of a shelter cat's journey from a cage to finally embracing his new life and family with trust and love. I would love to send this book home with every new kitten and cat adoption. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.