Whoo-Ku Haiku

★ “Readers follow a pair of great horned owls and their owlets from winter into the next autumn … The owls’ daily life cycle is a struggle for survival, made immediate through Gianferrari’s often-suspenseful haiku. … Two pages of information about great horned owls and a list of resources round out this splendid package.” –The Horn Book

“Gianferrari tells this avian story wholly in haiku, introducing children to an easy-to-grasp poetic form, against the appropriately moody naturalistic wash of Voss’s stunning pictures, in sepia ink and watercolor.” –New York Times

“Whoo-Ku Haiku is a lovely blending of poetry, science and nature. … The haiku poems function in tandem with the illustrations as powerful captioning to the unfolding story and lend themselves to dramatic reading and performance.” –The Horn Book Calling Caldecott

“Hunger is what draws a fox to toward a family of Great Horned Owls in ‘Whoo-ku Haiku’ … an avian chronicle by Maria Gianferrari told in 17-syllable stanzas. …In dramatic watercolor paintings, Jonathan Voss shows the arrival of three eggs (and the loss of one; “raccoon finds dinner”); the emergence of tiny pink babies; and the vigilance needed to protect against predators as the owlets grow into fledglings and, eventually, into adult owls able to build nests of their own.” –The Wall Street Journal

“The great horned owl takes wing through illustrations and haiku. … Vivid and accessible: an illuminating portrait of one of nature’s most iconic birds.” –Kirkus

“Whoo-ku Haiku engages, informs, and enchants. The superb marriage of text and art ensures young readers will become engrossed in the story as they learn about these fascinating raptors.” –Jama’s Alphabet Soup

“But “Whoo-Ku Haiku: A Great Horned Owl Story” by Massachusetts author Maria Gianferrari, beautifully illustrated by Jonathan Voss, explores the drama and danger of nesting owls in 24 sweet haiku. Kids can try out their own haiku, or learn more about the life cycle of owls in the appendix.” –The Boston Globe

“Through her series of haiku poems, Gianferrari creates moments that build on one another into a full story of the first months of egg laying and owlets growing up. Focusing on the strength and power of the most commons owls in North America, along with their exceptional parenting skills, the book also reveals the dangers they face despite their size. … A marvelous book of nature poetry for children. Appropriate for ages 6-9.” –Waking Brain Cells