Janeczko, Paul B. and J. Patrick Lewis. 2006. Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku. New York: Little, Brown and Co. ISBN 9780316607315
2. Summary and Book Review
Although this book is a fun read, I must admit that from the beginning I was a little confused. The title, Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku, suggests that this collection would contain haiku poetry. However, the flap of the dust jacket explains that the poems are really senryu, a cousin of haiku, which are funny and cover a wide range of subjects. The hallmark of haiku is the 5-7-5 syllable pattern, but I must assume senryu does not follow this pattern because the poems had all different syllable patterns. Looking past these issues, these silly poems use puns and wordplay in their humor. While good for an older crowd, younger children and LEP students would not understand why these poems are funny. For example, “Noah Webster had/no choice except to put/the cart before the horse” would be funny to adults, but it would have to be explained to children. Others, however, would be easy for children to understand such as “On Ferris wheel/I regret French fries, milk shake -/those below agree.” Tricia Tusa’s ink and watercolor paintings are whimsical and help illustrate the meaning of each poem. Beginning on the title page, a little boy chases his ball and falls into an underground world of wacky poems and illustrations. He is pictured on each page with a bewildered look on his face. The final poem states “A senryu goes/bouncing along into…/a giant poet-tree!” as the illustrations show the little boy chasing his ball again into a whole new adventure. The illustrations are the only thing tying these poems together as there is no central theme. My favorite poem in the book follows:
Grandpa’s underwear
Pulled up so high –
A chest of drawers
Everyone can laugh about Grandpa wearing his pants all the way up to his chest!
3. Awards/Reviews
*Core Collection: Laugh-along Poetry for the Young, 2006
*Positive Review in Kirkus Reviews, Library Media Connection
4. Activities
These poems reminded me of riddles. After reading the book aloud, students could look through riddle books and pick a riddle to turn into a senryu. They could then illustrate it to help readers understand its meaning.
5. Related Books
*If Not for the Cat by Jack Prelutsky ISBN 9780060596774
*Flamingoes on the Roof by Calef Brown ISBN 9780618562985
*Cool Melons Turn to Frogs: The Life and Poems of Issa by Matthew Gollub ISBN 9781584302414
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