Friday, October 3, 2014

Hi, Koo!: A Year of Seasons

by Jon J. Muth

Ages: 0-12 years (approximately grades preschool – 5)

Koo, a curious panda bear, takes a trip through the seasons and the alphabet in modified haiku. Starting in fall and easily transitioning through the remaining seasons, Jon J. Muth's illustrations and poems find Koo in interesting (but sometimes expected) circumstances as he eats warm cookies in fall, stomps through snow in winter, explores a rainy terrain with flashlights in spring, and draws wonderful chalk art in summer. Although each of the 26 haiku accompanies a picture, the book as a whole doesn't necessarily contain a plot. The seasons (and beautiful watercolor illustrations) are what drive the story forward in a gentle, playful way. Each modified haiku contains a capitalized letter of the alphabet, starting at A and ending in Z, giving an added depth to the motion of the story. Readers can easily separate each picture and poem from each other for an introduction to haiku or the alphabet, or can look at the book as a whole (including the clever play on words for a title!) for more advanced reading. This story is best suited for children who enjoy poetry, the changes in seasons, or enjoyed Firefly July or the collected works of Jon Muth.

Find Hi, Koo! in our catalog.

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