Step 2: Read a Somewhat Boring Non-Fiction Book

Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey

by Loree Griffin Burns

photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

Call # J595.78 Burns

Ever wonder where butterflies come from? Well, obviously the whole "when a mommy and daddy butterfly love each other very much" scenario, but I'm talking about how all those butterflies you see at the Indianapolis Zoo magically appear there. Burns and Harasimowicz show you through beautiful pictures and words the butterflies' journey from a tiny egg in Costa Rica to their forever home in museums and zoos around the world. 

The pictures in this book are amazing, especially considering how hard it can be to photograph bugs. The story itself wasn't written as well as I would have hopped, considering this book is a YHBA nominee this year, but it was still decent.

I would recommend this book to anyone in elementary school who's interested in butterflies and bugs or who might be doing a project on the life cycles of insects (the book mentions a few other bugs and their stages of life along with those of the butterfly). Even younger kids who can't read yet will enjoy looking at the pictures.

Other read-alikes according to Novelist are: A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston, The Butterfly Alphabet by Kjell Bloch Sandved, and Face to Face with Caterpillars by Darlyne Murawski.

Step 1: Read a Haiku Book

Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons

by Jon J Muth

Call # J811.54 Muth

When Muth created the panda Koo, he was a genius. Not only is the little fluff ball adorable, but his name lends itself as a perfect play on words. (Though, now that I really think about it, if someone were to say "Hi, Koo!" they would probably be in China were pandas are found, not in Japan were haikus originated... details, details!) Koo goes on a poetic journey through the four seasons, exploring the soft watercolors of autumn, winter, spring, and summer with his friends. As an added bonous, each page/haiku has one capitalized letter, following the alphabet pattern.

This book actually surprised me. As a Professional Writing Major, I was forced to take a poetry class, and while I'm not a huge fan of most poetry, I did enjoy learning the 5-7-5 of haikus. Muth provides a nice (and much needed) note at the beginning of the book, explaining that while the 5-7-5 on (pronounced OWN) works in the Japanese language, it does not always translate to an English 5-7-5 syllable count. In fact, the importance of the haiku is not so much the form, but it's ability to portray an entire scene (and all the emotions associated with that scene) in three short lines. 

Even though this book "broke" my beloved 5-7-5 rule, it definitely expresses each scene beautifully. I would recommend this book to any patron in the children's department. Most students learn about poetry at some point in their education, and this book is a clear way to show true haikus. For younger kids who are only interested in the panda and his story, the rythym of the haikus make this a fun story to read aloud.

Other books with Koo in them are Zen Shorts (a Caldecott Honor Book), Zen Ties, and Zen Ghosts (all three of which I look forward to reading!).

Other read-alikes according to Novelist are: Firefly July by Melissa Sweet, Guyko by Bob Raczka, and Today and Today, a collection of haikus by the Japanese master, Issa Kobayashi.