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Won-Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku

by Lee Wardlaw (Goodreads Author), Eugene Yelchin (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 723 ratings · 185 reviews

Nice place they got here.
Bed. Bowl. Blankie. Just like home!
Or so I've been told.

Visiting hours!
Yawn. I pretend not to care.
Yet -- I sneak a peek.

So begins this beguiling tale of a wary shelter cat and the boy who takes him home.

Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, this adoption story, told entirely in haiku, is unforgettable....more

Hardcover, 40 pages

Published February 15th 2011 by Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.

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Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter

Picture Books about Cats

18th out of 228 books — 117 voters

2012 Mock Caldecott

50th out of 82 books — 165 voters

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Apr 14, 2012 Terri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: highly-recommended, consideration, childrens-consideration

I do not like cats. They get under foot, pounce and claw when you least expect it, and make you sneeze. Give me a dog any day. BUT... a cat like Won Ton could probably change my mind. A few years back Andrew Clements gave us Dogku, a picture book told entirely in haiku, and one I enjoyed. Now Lee Wardlaw balances the dog versus cat scales with the remarkable Won Ton, taking the same concept with the opposite protagonist and doing it every bit as well, perhaps better. From the moment the stereoty...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Julia Jasztal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mommy's review from 2/9/12 -

500 stars for the subject since I firmly believe children should be more active in the plight of shelter and homeless animals.
I was a little frustrated with the writing because I've never been a fan of this style of writing. I remember learning to write a haiku in high school and wondering what the point was. I never found out.
But this wasn't like that - all the way. This makes sense in a way that those didn't back then. This was easier to follow. (Maybe I just neede...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Savanah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reading Level: 3rd grade, DRA level P
Interest Level: K-5th
Genre: Poetry
Main Characters: Won-Ton, the cat
Setting: Pet shelter then adopted families home
Point of View: Won-Ton, the cat

This is a great story all told in poetry. The title says it is written in Haiku which is a traditional form of poetry in Japan. However, when reading the author’s not, the author introduces another form of Japanese poetry, Senryu. This is a type of poetry that is similar to haikus, except haikus have a focus on natur...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Halley Todd rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, cats, friendship, international, mentor-texts, picture-books, poetry, read-aloud, si-624-reviews, family-love, haiku

Reader beware: this picture book will make you immediately want to go out and adopt a cat from an animal shelter. This is a story told from a cat’s point of view about being adopted from an animal shelter. It follows Won Ton’s time in the animal shelter, and his adjustment to being in a new home. The text of the story is told entirely in haiku, which makes this a fantastic model text. Children will easily be able to hear and understand the rhythm of haiku in this format. However, these haiku are...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Shazzer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books, picture-books-2011

As posted on Outside of a Dog

Won Ton is actually a tale told in senryu, a variation of haiku of deals with human nature, or as the Wardlaw points out, cat nature. Here is the story of a cautious shelter cat who is chosen by a boy who can "rub my chin just right". The cat may act cool, but really wants to be taken home. He is named Won Ton, though he teases "Some day, I'll tell you my real name. Maybe." Won Ton learns about his new home, new food, new playtime and new naptime. Wardlow and Yelchin...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

A substitute teacher came up to my reference desk seeking, “Fun haiku books” to turn into lesson plans with their kids. That’s the sort of open-ended question that can render your brain blank for a moment or two. Suddenly every haiku book for kids you’ve ever encountered flees from your brain. You’re left gaping like a fish, desperately scanning your poetry shelves for one, just ONE, haiku book that will help. Then, if you’re really in trouble, you start thinking of books that are so new to your...more A substitute teacher came up to my reference desk seeking, “Fun haiku books” to turn into lesson plans with their kids. That’s the sort of open-ended question that can render your brain blank for a moment or two. Suddenly every haiku book for kids you’ve ever encountered flees from your brain. You’re left gaping like a fish, desperately scanning your poetry shelves for one, just ONE, haiku book that will help. Then, if you’re really in trouble, you start thinking of books that are so new to your library system that it’s no good to remember them anyway. For instance, the last time this happened I found myself thinking of Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku. A spirited little story that couldn’t be simpler, the first person narrative of a feline in a new home is told entirely in haikus. With plenty of things to love for poetry and cat lovers alike, Won Ton takes an old form and renders it furry.

Split into little unnumbered chapters (“The Shelter”, “The Choosing”, etc.) we hear the tale of a cat named Won Ton (though that’s not his “read” name, mind). A shelter kitty, Won Ton is adopted by a nice boy and goes off to start a new life. For a cat there are plenty of things to explore and figure out. There’s the couch that makes for an excellent scratching post and the moths that make for “a dusty snack”. In the end, Won Ton makes it clear that he’s not his boy’s cat. The boy is his boy. And finally, “ ‘Good night, Won Ton,’ you / whisper. Boy it’s time you knew: / My name is Haiku.”

It’s interesting that right off the bat the Author’s Note makes it clear that the book isn’t told in haiku at all but rather senryu. Actually, I’m being facetious. Senryu, which focuses on “the foibles of human nature – or in this case, cat nature” appears to have been developed from haiku itself. This would make it an ideal book for classroom study, then. We hear about kids that have to write their own haikus all the time. How many have to write senryus, eh?

I liked that in the Dedication we learn that the author has cats named Mai Tai, Papaya, and Koloa. Won Ton isn’t all that kooky a name in comparison. As for the haikus themselves, they’re definitely less evocative and more driven by a deep and abiding knowledge of cat personalities. The repeated joke throughout the book are the haikus that go, “Letmeoutletme / outletmeoutletmeout. / Wait – let me back in!” These occur periodically throughout the book. Of course, I wondered how well this kind of poetry would read aloud. Often Wardlaw has to break apart a line mid-sentence with varying degrees of success. Some poems don’t require the continuous flow of a sentence from one line to another. Others get a bit confusing when the lines aren’t next to one another. In one long line, “Naptime! Begone, oh / fancy pad. I prefer these / socks. They smell of you” looks fine. Broken up it’s a little hard to read. For the most part, though, everything is fairly smooth.

Eugene Yelchin is the illustrator paired with Ms. Wardlaw for this book and he’s an artist I’ve not seen much of before. Yelchin for this book has taken graphite and gouache to watercolor paper to create these images. His style is an elongated series of stretched lines, something akin to an artist like Jules Feiffer, though Yelchin reigns himself in a bit more. I particularly enjoyed his backgrounds. When Won Ton is in the shelter the background switches from plain white to gray or gray-blue or gray-pink. Then when the family returns home with their new cat, the artist takes a moment to render a landscape heavily influenced by older Japanese prints of mountainous backgrounds. Inside the home the colors brighten. Yellows and oranges and maybe a light blue. Patterned carpets and backyard scenes allow for more tips of the hat to Japanese prints, but not so much you’re taken out of the reading. Yelchin’s humans pretty much stay out of the picture, seen only in body parts until the boy’s face appears at the end as a kind of reward. As for Won Ton himself, the artist has clearly studied cats, and how much you take to it may depend on how much of a cat person you are. Yelchin’s hero is almost all outline. The shading is done well enough, but when you think back on the art, it’s the black outlines that remain in your mind. That seems to be the style that’s primarily at work here.

When we think of famous poetical kitties the first thing that tends to come to mind is Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. Actually, this book pairs pretty well with Old Possum, particularly when it comes to the naming of cats. Won Ton isn’t particularly fond of his human-bestowed name, and little wonder since he has a name of his own already. Much like the Jellicle Cats of Eliot’s world, this cat is the master of his moniker. The book also brought to mind one of my favorite feline poetry titles A Curious Collection of Cats by Betsy Franco. Some of Won Ton’s habits here are replicated perfectly in Ms. Franco’s book. The two would read well together, I should think. As it stands, of course, Won Ton has no difficulty standing on its own. A cheery ode to a boy and his cat, this is one of the books to grab the next time someone asks you for “fun haiku”. Or really, any poetry in general.

For ages 4-8.
(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2012 Kellee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-nerdies, poetry, mr-schu-2011-list, picture-book, teach-mentor-texts, mg-ya-picture-books

Reviewed at:
http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/...

This book touched my heart. Anyone who is a cat person will connect immediately with Won Ton and love him instantly and the way his story was told through haikus was touching and brilliant. Wardlaw obviously knows her cats because each poem is reminiscent of cats' personalities.

1 like · like · see review

May 20, 2012 Tami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animal-themed-characters, picture-books-for-any-age, poetry, read-aloud-recommendation, reading-writing

Won Ton is the story of a cat adopted by a young boy from an animal shelter. As indicated by the title, the story is told in a series of haiku poems from the perspective of the cat. The poems are by turns funny and sweet. Any animal lover–and especially someone who adores cats–will fall in love with this cat’s story as well as the language through which it is told.

Many of the haikus could stand on their own outside the context of this particular story:

“Latch squeaks. Door swings wide.

Free! Free...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Joan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-books, cats, 2011-favorites, animals, picture-books

This is a delight. I was going to copy my favorite senryu verse (haiku essentially, but with a different focus) but which one to choose? "Gypsy on my left./Pumpkin, my right. Together/we are all alone." What a perfect depictionof a shelter!
As someone else pointed out there is a joke running through this story familiar to anyone enslaved to a cat: "Letmeoutletme/outletmeout./Wait--let me back!".
Catitude is expressed perfectly in this senryu: "Eavesdropping, I hear:/"my cat." Great rats! Don't y...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Judy Desetti rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: poetry, picture-book-k-3, picture-book-older, animal

Fabulous!!

This is a wonderful book to pair with Dogku by Clements. Both are told in Haiku form. Won Ton is actually in senryu- a form similar to Haiku.

Excellent to share with older students for the poetry and form used. Wonderful for younger students to share the love of cats and getting a new animal. I loved the perspective of the telling from the viewpoint of the cat gracing the people with his presence, since all cats feel superior to the lowly humans they share their domain with.

Overall a...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, ncbla, poetry

A cat waits in a shelter, somewhat impatiently, for the right person to come along. Although he acts as though he doesn't care about whether he is selected for adoption, clearly he does. The story of his adoption, journey home, and settling in are told in a series of senryu, a form especially suited to the personality of the cat called Won Ton--or is it Haiku? Some of the poems are funny while others touch the heart as boy and cat fall in love. The goauche and graphite illustrations show the cur...more

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May 08, 2011 NancyJo Lambert rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was very different, and I really liked that. My 4 year old son really enjoyed this book. How fun is it that this book is told in Haiku! I also like how it feels like a chapter book with the headings that help move the story along and inform the readers about what's going on.

In this book, a cat, nameless at first, is living in a shelter. He acts aloof, like he doesn't want to get adopted. Then, he does get adopted and is taken to the home of a little boy. The cat does adjust to his new...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 11, 2012 Hilary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: poetry, picture-books, read-alouds

If only I were clever enough to write a review in haiku...

Alas. I am not.

However, this story, is about a shelter kitty who finds a "forever home":
Eavesdropping, I hear:
"My cat." Great Rats! Don't you know
yet that you're My Boy?"
Lee Wardlow has cat behavior down pat and the illustrations by Eugene Yelchin are delightful.
Who hasn't experienced "fish breath" or the variety of "gifts" cats bestowed upon favored humans? (No? You haven't? How sad! Buy this book -- and a cat to go with it!)...
Kris...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Romelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favorite-books

Won Ton, by Lee Ward, is a brilliant story told in Haiku. Traditionally, haiku is written in three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third line. Ward manages to capture the heart and personality of a Saimese cat named Won Ton in just a few words. Ward's skill of choosing the perfect words to tell a story is matched with the artistic talent of Eugene Yelchin. The plot is simple. It is a day-in-a-life story arc of an adopted...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: birth-to-5-years, children, picture-books, poetry

A selection for the Mock Caldecott award, this book is a cute story about a cat that is adopted, brought home to a family and accepted/loved. It is told in senryu, "a form of Japanese poetry similar to haiku, which typically describes the foibles of human nature--or in this case, cat nature (author's note)." I liked how the cat pretended not to be paying attention, but was well aware of what was going on around him. My favorite verses were:

Help! I've been catnapped,
dressed in frillies, forced...more

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May 05, 2013 Jan Rue added it

Shelves: ed-689-books

That a beautiful book! Written by Lee Wardlaw & Ill. by Eugene Yelchin. Pulbished 2011 by Holt & Co, New York. It is the story of a cat called Won Ton and is written in Haiku. He comes from shelter and the narrative is from his perspective. Won Ton has very kitty attitudes & thoughts and is protrayed well. The art is done with graphite and ouache on watercolor paper. It is a great book to read aloud, then discuss the attitudes of cats, experiences, etc. Great for wonderings and discu...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

Okay confession time—I tried for over an hour to come up with a cute haiku poem for this review and failed miserably! Hehe…My grade school teachers would be horrified!

But I will say that this cat’s journey from the shelter to a home will warm your heart and make you smile and “awww”! The pages capture a cat’s day with fun, adventure, mischief, a bit of snobbiness, and snuggles! Big, beautiful, clear, solid illustrations bring this cat to life with stretches, yawns, hisses, and curious eyes.

Makes...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Meredith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ri-childrens-book-award

Great artwork, okay poetry. I remember learning somewhere along the line that in a haiku, the last line should offer some kind of contrast from the first two. The beginning poems do this, and I think they're more effective.

Regardless, I will be using this in class (not sure which grade(s) yet) and having the kids write their own haiku. Maybe about pets. Maybe about library rules. Or give them the choice. I'm trying to embed more choice in my lessons this year.

And from the "it's funny 'cause it's...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-book, poetry

12/30/12 ** What would Christmas be without several books? Well, it's not a critical issues book, it's not beautifully illustrated with fine art. It IS about a cat with "tons" of personality, and very cat-like comic-style illustrations, and it has a signed book plate.

The author's note makes a distinction between haiku (5-7-5 syllables about nature) and senryu (5-7-5 syllables that focus on the foibles of human -or cat - nature). This book follows the life of a cat from the shelter, to the adopti...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books, poetry, read-2112

I’ve waited too long to read this book, but luckily I found a copy in the library. It’s simply wonderful. It makes me laugh and made me a little sad as well, thinking of all the pets in the world that need a home. Yes, it begins in a shelter (“Visiting hours! Yawn. I pretend not to care.”) but ends in a home (“Yawn. String-on-a-stick. Fine. I’ll come out and chase it it.”) It includes other parts of cats and owners, inside and outside. Don’t wait to read! And then you can also see the gorgeous i...more

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Mar 18, 2011 elissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picturebooks, cat_books, poetry, 2011favorites, my_10s_reads, capitol_choices_2012

2nd book on my 2011favorites shelf. I only got to read this once, quickly, but I'd like to read it again. It may even be 5 stars for me, as I love both the pictures and the words, but I'll wait to bump it up until after I can share it with a child. The story is told all in haiku, but if I hadn't been told that I wouldn't even have noticed, since it's very subtly done. Since I've been doing lots of volunteering at a shelter lately, and my sons are "Boy" to two cats, this happily-ever-after tale o...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature, fiction, picture-book, poetry

Won Ton (whose real name is undisclosed until the end of the book) is a delightfully snarky cat who starts out in an animal shelter, is discovered by a boy, and must train the boy in the art of caring for an Oriental prince. The story is told entirely in haiku, and Wardlaw's use of language is a treat. Pair this with Andrew Clements' Dogku for a great storytime during National Poetry Month or any other month of the year!

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Aug 04, 2012 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-book, poetry

Won Ton : A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw; illustrated by Eugene Yelchin.

Boston : Henry Holt, 2011.

The story of Won Ton, the adopted stray cat from the animal shelter, is told through playful poetry written in senryu, a form similar to haiku. Like haiku, senryu features three unrhymed lines with seventeen syllables (5-7-5), but focuses on personality and behavior instead of the natural world.

The poems begin with Won Ton's life in the shelter waiting to be adopted and continue until he ev...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Tasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

This picture book is told in a series of haiku poems. The poems form the only text in the book, charmingly telling the tale of Won Ton, a cat saved from the animal shelter by a boy and his family. Once rescued, Won Ton demonstrates that he is pure cat. His aloof yet cozy manner is captured to perfection here in the poems. The book is in turns touching, beautiful, wistful and very funny.

Wardlaw’s haiku read as if they were effortlessly written. In a few words and syllables, he captures the life o...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Candice rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Ellen, Sophie (when she's older)

Shelves: picture-books

Not for very young children, but I think cat lovers would enjoy it. Told entirely in Haiku, it's the story of a shelter cat who comes to live with a boy and his family. At times funny, at times sweet, it captures the essence of cats. My favorite page shows Won Ton lying on a pile of sox.

Naptime! Begone, oh
fancy pad. I prefer these
socks. They smell of you.

Actually, that one reminds me of my dog. The illustrations are in just a few colors and capture Won Ton's personality with perfection.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 10, 2011 Sam Bloom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-books, childrens-poetry, picture-books

This one had me laughing pretty much from beginning to end! It was only after finishing the book that I stopped to realize just how much work it would take to write it; to follow the rules of senyru, which for all intents and purposes are the same as those of haiku, while making the story funny and engaging. Yelchin's illustrations definitely help, too. While the poems provide the set-up for the humor, the pictures of provide a perfect every-cat personality that drive the jokes home. Excellent!

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Sep 25, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very cool story, told entirely in haiku (3 lines, syllables count! 5-7-5) about a huge-eyed Siamese cat who is adopted from an animal shelter and taken home by a young boy. Count the syllables.

Nice place they got there
Bed. Bowl. Blankie. Just like home!
or so I've been told.

Yawn. String-on-a-stick.
Fine. I'll come out and chase it
to make you happy.

Help! I've been catnapped,
dressed in frillies, forced to lap
tea with your sister.

The artwork is great.

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Nov 22, 2011 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Copyright: 2011
Genre: Poetry

What a wonderful way for students to learn Haiku! This is a story about a cat being adopted by an owner. Many students will be able to identify with the idea of bringing a pet home and seeing how a pet settles into a new situation. By making this connection, students can focus less on the comprehension and more on the language structure of Haiku. This was a very fun book and touching book since it reminded me of when I brought my own cats home.

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Jul 27, 2011 Lisa Vegan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all cat lovers, especially those who have adopted through a shelter

Recommended to Lisa by: Ann

Shelves: childrens, fiction, gr-author, picture-books, poetry, reviewed

I’ve had this book at home for awhile and I finally made myself pick it up and read it because it’s rated so highly, including among readers I often agree with re picture books. But, the cover illustration completely turns me off; I hated it. I hate it a bit less now that I’ve read this utterly delightful story.

For me the illustrations are cute and fit the story, but they’re not my favorite, though I like virtually all of them better than the cover illustration.

the senryu haiku-like poetry story...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Sandy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: cat lovers, dog lovers, poetry lovers art lovers

How can so few words reveal so much? Each haiku and illustrated page offers intense insight into the sleek inner workings, svelte outer beauty, and ambivalent reactions of the star, WonTon. From Shelter to the final revelation of her true name to The Boy, this is a richly layered book. great to pair/compare with the Andrew Clements title, Dogku. In each case individual haiku can stand alone but also serve as essential steps in a life story.

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About Lee Wardlaw

Lee Wardlaw swears that her first spoken word was 'kitty'. Since then, she's shared her life with 30 cats (not all at the same time!) and published close to 30 award-winning books for young readers, selling more than one million copies world wide.

Lee's newest books include Won Ton - A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, winner of the 2012 Lee Bennett Hopkins Children's Poetry Award and the 2012 Myra Cohn Livi...more

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“I explained it loud
and clear. What part of "meow"
don't you understand?” — 7 people liked it

“Letmeoutletme
outletmeoutletmeout.
Wait--let me back in!
...
Letmeinletme
inletmeinletmein.
Wait--let me back out!” — 4 people liked it

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