Prelutsky, Jack. 2004. IF NOT FOR THE CAT. Ill. Ted Rand. New York: Greenwillow. ISBN 0060596775 [Suggested Grade Levels 1-5]
REVIEW
“If not for the cat, / And the scarcity of cheese, / I could be content.” So opens, and provides the title, for a haiku picture book that captures the simplicity and grace of the poetic form. Each two-page spread pairs the spare 5-7-5 syllable haiku format with an exquisite full-color illustration to perfectly capture the essence of a different animal, seventeen in all. The jellyfish, for example, are depicted as, “Boneless, translucent, / We undulate, undulate, / Gelatinously.” In six words, Prelutsky manages to expertly capture both the image of a jellyfish and its motion through the water. Rand augments this with an illustration of an underwater jellyfish that itself appears to undulate in shades of blue.
REVIEW
“If not for the cat, / And the scarcity of cheese, / I could be content.” So opens, and provides the title, for a haiku picture book that captures the simplicity and grace of the poetic form. Each two-page spread pairs the spare 5-7-5 syllable haiku format with an exquisite full-color illustration to perfectly capture the essence of a different animal, seventeen in all. The jellyfish, for example, are depicted as, “Boneless, translucent, / We undulate, undulate, / Gelatinously.” In six words, Prelutsky manages to expertly capture both the image of a jellyfish and its motion through the water. Rand augments this with an illustration of an underwater jellyfish that itself appears to undulate in shades of blue.
Each haiku acts as a riddle, asking children to guess the animal described by using the verse and illustration. A “Who is Who” list at the end of the text lets children confirm their guesses. While the text is simple enough to appeal to children as young as the first grade, this collection of haiku will also attract older readers who can further appreciate the skill with which Prelutsky crafts his deceptively simple verses.
CONNECTIONS
Read the book first without showing the illustrations and let the children guess which animal is being described. Then, give a second reading while showing the illustrations and compare the mental images that the children have conjured with Rand’s interpretation.
Discuss the 5-7-5 syllable format of haiku and the way in which Prelutsky uses this format to describe different animals. Children can then write haiku poems about animals of their choice and illustrate their poetry. When the children are finished, their poetry can be collected and made into a book to be displayed in the classroom or library.
RELATED BOOKS
Other haiku books:
Gollub, Matthew and Kazuko G. Stone. COOL MELONS -- TURN TO FROGS!: THE LIFE AND POEMS OF ISSA. ISBN 1880000717
Livingston, Myra Cohn. CRICKET NEVER DOES: A COLLECTION OF HAIKU & TANKA. ISBN 0689811233
Spivak, Dawnine. GRASS SANDALS: THE TRAVELS OF BASHO. ISBN 0689807767
By Erin Miklauz
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