Boo! Haiku

August 1, 2016
Caswell and Shea follow their recent Guess Who, Haiku with another poetry-based guessing game, using haiku to hint at the identities of 10 Halloween standbys. There are some especially lovely haikus in the mix, and they often strike a pleasing balance between evocative language and casual phrasings: a pumpkin is “an orange porch pal/ scooped for pie and roasted seeds/ a candlelit grin,” while a ghost is “footsteps without feet/ woo-ooo-ing in the basement/ heavy chains floating.” Playing inky black against bold shades of olive, mustard, and violet, Shea opts for treats over tricks, creating smiley and wholly unthreatening portraits of witches, spiders, scarecrows, owls, and more. A closing note includes information about the haiku form, including the “element of play” common to many of them and the concept of syllables. Ages 3–5. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

In their second collaboration, Caswell and Shea use the same format as in their Guess Who, Haiku (2016) to ask readers to identify some common Halloween creatures.Each turn of the page presents children with a new haiku and asks them to guess whom the poem is about: "broom across the moon / pointed hat at the window / hair-raising cackle." A simple graphic in a circle on the page gives a visual clue (in this case, a black, pointy hat), but children will have to use their listening skills to identify the witch, revealed with the page turn. The witch then presents listeners with a new haiku. The other Halloween creatures include a bat, a skeleton, a jack-o'-lantern, a ghost, a black cat, a spider, an owl, a scarecrow, and "YOU!"--aka trick-or-treaters. Shea's digital pictures are perfect for little listeners, with spare, bright backgrounds and just enough detail for identification. A final page explains the poetic form and what a syllable is. As with the first, this just begs to be read aloud to a group of preschoolers, who won't be able to help shouting out their answers. More please. (Picture book/poetry. 3-5) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016

PreS-A Halloween-themed follow-up to Guess Who Haiku. This picture book is just as clever as the first collection and just as much fun. Caswell's various haiku provide enough clues ("broom across the moon," coupled with Shea's simple and graphic black hat) that preschoolers will be able to guess the answers ("Boo! It's a witch!") before they turn the page. Even the endpapers have graphic Halloween appeal. VERDICT This interactive title would be great to use in seasonal programs or for classroom writing prompts. Recommended for purchase.-Sarah Wilsman, Bainbridge Library, Chagrin Falls, OH

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