Guess Who, Haiku

December 21, 2015
Caswell (Beach House) and Shea (I Will Chomp You!) combine an outdoorsy guessing game with an introduction to haiku through a chain of guess-the-animal interactions. Each poem gets its own page (“new day on the farm/ muffled mooing announces/ a fresh pail of milk,” reads the first one), followed by the recurring question, “Can you guess who from this haiku?” A turn of the page reveals the answer, and the discovered animal offers a new haiku for children to decode. Working in his familiar bold, graphic style, Shea offers plenty of visual clues to help readers guess, while placing the action in a simplified barnyard setting that keeps the focus on the animals. A closing page that briefly explains the structure and goals of haiku should prove useful to children curious about the form. Ages 3–5. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

Starred review from January 15, 2016
Haiku at play in the animal world and vice versa. In the first of what readers will hope will be many collaborations, Caswell and Shea team up in this charming collection of haiku for pre-readers. Caswell takes her lead from the hai of haiku, which, she explains, in Japanese means "to make light of," presenting 10 bite-sized poetic portraits of common animals as riddles for children to solve. First, she offers a serene poetic snapshot--"a soft nose in oats / after an afternoon ride / back at the stable"--and invites readers to "guess who" is the haiku's subject. Then, making the most of the picture-book format, the page turn reveals "A horse!" realized in Shea's bold and cheery mixed-media illustration. That subject then offers another haiku--"one small speckled egg / wings wrap a breezy cradle / up on the treetop"--continuing the enticing chain of haiku riddles, guessing, and deeply satisfying page-turn revelations. One can just imagine roomfuls of children shouting their guesses in gleeful anticipation of Shea's heartwarming illustrations of Caswell's haiku subjects. Overall, a superb introduction to this potent poetic form, teaching pre-readers both the evocative power of description and the reward for listening closely. Not to be missed: gorgeous poetry, vibrant illustrations, and masterful use of the page turn. (Picture book/poetry. 3-6)

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April 1, 2016

PreS-K-This winning combination of haiku and smiling farm animals is sure to be a favorite among young readers. Each page presents a call-and-response riddle about a different animal, along with a picture clue. Both the text and the illustrations offer plenty of support for children encountering this poetic form for the first time. The bright pastel color scheme and thoughtful text positioning are lively without being too busy. Caswell concludes with a page for caregivers, offering suggestions on how to engage children in the rhythm of each verse. VERDICT Perfectly designed for the youngest poetry readers, this introduction to haiku is excellent for storytime or laptime.-Maggi Rohde, Ann Arbor Public Schools, MI

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