Kid Konnection: Won Ton and Chopstick & Giveaway

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you an adorable picture book that's a perfect way to celebrate National Poetry Month.

Summary: Won Ton has a happy life with his Boy, until…
Ears perk. Fur prickles.

Belly low, I creep…peek…FREEZE!

My eyes full of Doom.

A new puppy arrives, and nothing will be the same.

Told entirely in haiku and with plenty of catitude, the story of how Won Ton faces down the enemy is a fresh and funny twist on a familiar rivalry. -- Henry Holt

Since April is National Poetry Month and I don't read a whole lot of poetry, I thought I'd feature a cute new book called WON TON AND CHOPSTICK: A CAT AND DOG TALE TOLD IN HAIKU by Lee Wardlaw and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. This picture book is the followup to the fun book WON TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU, and as you can probably guess, both books are written in haiku!

WON TON AND CHOPSTICK describes what happens when a dog joins Won Ton's family. Won Ton's life is pretty "fine." He naps, plays and bathes until his beauty snooze is interrupted; and then he discovers a new set of toys that aren't at all cat-like. Needless to say, Won Ton is shocked to discover that he isn't the only furry critter in the house!

Despite Won Ton's wishes, he is actually the one thrown out of the house; and he desperately misses his "boy." When he is allowed back in, poor Won Ton is feeling slightly depressed -- he doesn't want to eat or even play. However, he gradually accepts the new puppy and discovers that he can be fun. He even accepts that he might become his good friend!

WON TON AND CHOPSTICK is a really fun approach to the traditional cat versus dog rivalry. I loved that the story was written in haiku, and I thought it gave the story an almost whimsical twist. After I read the book to myself, I went back and read it out loud just to hear the way the words sounded. The haiku text provided such a unique cadence to a traditional read aloud story.

The illustrations were just perfect too -- both cute and humorous. I especially appreciated some of the expressions of the animal's faces. Won Ton was precious when he was angry, and the puppy looked so cute in his responses to the cat. The pictures really were the perfect complement to the haiku and story.

I was thrilled to discover that there is an activity  kit and a reading guide for WON TON AND CHOPSTICK. These additions make it ideal for the classroom. I especially appreciated the teacher's guide which covered a variety of subjects including language arts, math, social studies, and science. There are even reading comprehension questions as well as questions about the illustrations.

I thought WON TON AND CHOPSTICKS was a great picture book that became even better when I saw all of the complementary material. Highly recommended!

If you want to learn more about WON TON AND CHOPSTICKS or connect with the author, you can visit:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leewardlaw

Twitter: @LeeWardlaw

http://www.pawstoread.com

Check out Won Ton on these other tour stops:

Mon, Mar 30 Library Fanatic
Tues, Mar 31 Kid Lit Frenzy
Wed, Apr 1 Teach Mentor Texts
Thurs, Apr 2 Sharpread
Fri, Apr 3 A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust
Mon, Apr 6 The Children's Book Review
Tues, Apr 7 5 Minutes for Books
Wed, Apr 8 Cracking the Cover
Thurs, Apr 9 Unleashing Readers
Fri, Apr 10 Word Spelunker
Sat, Apr 11 Bermuda Onion

Thanks to Blue Slip Media for providing a review copy of this book.

Giveaway alert: I have copies of WON TON AND CHOPSTICK and the first book in the series WON TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU to share with one lucky reader. To enter, just fill out the form below before April 18th at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!



If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!