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Aeicha @ Word Spelunking

Friday, April 10, 2015

Won Ton and Chopstick Blog Tour {interview and giveaway}



I'm so excited to have the Won Ton and Chopstick Blog Tour stopping by today! Lee Wardlaw's newest picture book, told through haiku, is an adorable and amusing tale about Won Ton the cat and Chopstick, the puppy...

Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku
by Lee Wardlaw
illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
3/17/15
Henry Holt & Co.
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.






Praise for Won Ton and Chopstick
Young readers who fell in love with Won Ton in Wardlaw and Yelchin's first book, Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, will enthusiastically welcome this new adventure, and those not yet familiar with the earlier book will likely seek it out. (Booklist)

A satisfying companion to Won Ton's eponymous first outing. (Kirkus Reviews)

In this charming sequel, a new puppy threatens the titular feline's idyllic experience in an enjoyable spin on the "adjusting to new baby" theme. (School Library Journal)

Each haiku is complete in itself, capturing the essence of cat...and together the poems create a whole tale of displacement and eventual mutual understanding. (The Horn Book)

* Will steal the hearts of readers young and old. (School Library Journal, starred review on Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku)

* [A] celebration of the child-pet bond. (Booklist, starred review on Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku)

* Perfect pussycat poetry. (Kirkus Reviews, starred review on Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku)

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku
by Lee Wardlaw
illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
2/15/11
Henry Holt & Co
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.






What three words best describe Won Ton and Chopstick?

Sibling Rivalry with Whiskers (Okay, so that was four. Math is my weakness.)

Grab a copy of Won Ton and Chopstick and answer the following:

favorite page?
The double-page spread in the section called The Banishment. I love the muted textured blues and greens Eugene Yelchin used to create the night; they offer an almost dewy chill to the illustration, emphasizing how lonely and vulnerable Won Ton feels. I also love the shadowed fence; it has a sinewy elegance—just like a cat!

favorite illustration?
The Banishment is definitely one of my favorite pages. So is the double-page spread called The Surprise. The stripe-y wallpaper is bright and cheerful and cute, just like Chopstick. And Won Ton’s expression is, well, if looks could kill! This illustration makes me laugh every time I look at it.

favorite haiku?

Hey, Pest! Heed my hiss!
My blankie. My bowl. My boy.
Trespassers bitten.

Why did you choose to write Won Ton and Chopstick through haiku? What do you love about the haiku form?

It simply made sense to me that if a cat were to speak human, he would do so in haiku. I love haiku for the same reasons I love cats: they are compact poems . . . they exist in the Now . . . they’re beautiful and elegant . . . they appear simple but are actually complex . . . and they say a lot in just a few words. Too bad haiku don’t purr!

Fill in the blanks:
I’m really awesome at napping.

I’m really embarrassed to admit that I spend more on clothes than on books.

The last great book I read was The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by Won Ton and Chopstick, what would it look and taste like and what would you call it?

I would call it the Yin Yang. The cake would be dark chocolate, of course. The frosting would be dark chocolate on the yin side (with a kitty illustration) and cream cheese on the yang side (with a puppy illustration). The kitty and puppy would be hugging to form the traditional Yin Yang symbol. Meow, woof, yum!

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 30 books for young readers, including Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, recipient of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Children’s Poetry Award, the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry, and the Cat Writers’ Association Muse Medallion. She lives in Santa Barbara, California with her family.
Win copies of both 
Won Ton and Chopstick and Won Ton!
Thanks to Lee and Blue Slip Media, I have a copy of each Won Ton book for one lucky winner.
Details
-US only
-ends 4/18
(please read full rules below rafflecopter)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Unless otherwise stated, the policies and rules for each giveaway are as follows:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington D.C. who are 13 years old or older as of date of entry.
To enter, fill out the appropriate Rafflecopter form associated with each giveaway.
The start and end dates for each giveaway will be clearly stated and followed.
The specified amount of winners shall be selected in a random drawing.
Winners will be notified by email and must claim their prize within 48 hours. If a winner does not respond within 48 hours, then a new winner will be chosen.
Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes in the mail. Once a prize is dropped off at the post office, it is no longer my responsibility and I will not compensate in anyway for prizes not delivered because of the USPS.
If a third-party (author, publisher, etc) is shipping a prize, once I provide the winner(s)' mailing information to them, the prize is no longer my responsibility. I will forward your mailing info to the proper people within 48 hours after getting it from you. If you have not received your prize from an author or publisher within 8 weeks, it is your responsibility to contact them further.
By participating in any giveaway, you agree to adhere to these rules. Any breaking of these rules by entrants will disqualify them from the giveaway and their entries will be deleted.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
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
Sat, Apr 4
Booking Mama
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

2 comments:

Manju Howard said...

Lee Wardlaw, Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku is a fun book to read out loud. I look forward to reading your new picture book. Thanks for sharing your favorite haiku and for the giveaway.

anne s. said...

would love for my kids to learn about haiku while reading this book!