If Not for the Cat

If Not for The Cat

Written by Jack Prelutsky

Illustrated by Ted Rand

Published by Greenwillow Books

Copyright 2004

40 pages

Poetry

If Not for the Cat is a poetry book about animals. Every other page has a haiku about a different animal. Each haiku is a short description of an animal. Animals from different habitats are included in the book. The reader or listener does not have to see the illustrations to figure out the animal being described.

            Ted Rand used India ink, traditional watercolors, chalk, spatter, and printmaking techniques to illustrate this book. The colors he used for his illustrations give the book a calm feeling. The colors used in the book match colors found in nature. Although the illustrations cover more of the pages than the haikus, the illustrations do not take away from the haikus. The illustrations add to the book by providing pictures of the animals described.

This book would be useful in a third or fourth grade classroom. This book could be used for a science lesson. Students could choose an animal from the book and research it. This book could also be used for a writing lesson. Once the students research the animal they chose, they could write a haiku using the facts they learned. This book could also be used for a social studies lesson.­­ Students could research the countries where these animals are common. This book is an ALA Notable Children’s Book. It also won a Parents’ Choice Silver Honor.