Book review: Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku

 

Title: Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku

By: Paul B. Janeczko and J. Patrick Lewis

Illustrated by: Tricia Tusa

Published by: Little, Brown, and Company, April 5, 2006

ISBN:  978-0316607315

Plot Summary

This collection of short and fun poems makes frequent use of wordplay. It is full of topics that will make kids giggle, including everything from animals to carnivals. Kids who are big fans of puns or "dad jokes" will definitely enjoy the offerings in this book (as will readers of all ages!) The colorful illustrations add even more enjoyment to the reading experience.

Critical Analysis

Although the title of the book is "Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku", the front flap of the dust jacket lets the reader know that these poems are actually senryu, not haiku. Both forms are similar, but senryu focuses on people rather than nature. Similar to haiku, senryu is composed of 3 lines with the 5-7-5 syllabic structure found in haiku.

The poems move from one subject to the next in rapid succession, but each is self-contained so it is natural to take a brief pause between reading each one. In just one page, the reader moves from mosquitoes to mice, starting when they read "Irksome mosquito, kindly sing your evening song in my brother's ear". A near-universal experience, having a mosquito buzz in your ear is almost as annoying as, well, your brother. "Irksome" is the perfect word to describe a mosquito, and has fewer syllables than the similar "annoying", which ensures that it fits into the poem's 5 syllable opening line.

That offering is followed by "Mice dart in shadows as barn cat waits and grins . . . Ah! fast food tonight". This fun play on words will delight readers with its witty double-speak, since mice running from cats would definitely be fast, but not the fast food that children are used to. The illustrations add to the fun and quirky style of the poems. The mosquito-addled brothers are seated on the edge of a cup of tea, while the cat chases its prey around the saucer, the mice running under a sign reading "drive-thru".

The illustrations are full of fun details as well as people who have varying features and skin tones. One could spend a long time finding new and tiny inclusions in the drawings that make them as rich and entertaining as the poems themselves are.

Excerpt

Insect photographer-

introduces himself:

I'm a shutterbug. 

Use

The poems in this collection are all short and silly. They lend themselves nicely to being read aloud by students. Each student can choose a poem and take turns reciting them for their classmates. Students who may be reluctant can choose to perform with a partner or in a group and those who would like to can recite their poem individually. 

Another fun use would be to create artwork (paintings, drawings, or even small sculptures) that represent the poems. Since they are short and centered on just one idea, they can easily be transformed into artwork.