Knock On Wood

Knock On Wood
By:  Janet S. Wong
Illustrations by:  Julie Paschkis
Published by:  Margaret K. McElderry Books
Copyright 2003
Poetry Genre

                                                                    Knock On Wood

      This book includes seventeen poems about seventeen different superstitions. It caught my attention, because when I was little I was very superstitious. In fact the day before I rented this book I stopped my car to let a black cat cross, in front of me, on the street. I found the book to be very fitting.
      Each poem is short, but talks about the superstition. Some of my favorite poems were about the superstitions of the black cat, itching ears, salt, the number thirteen, and horseshoes. I always liked these superstitions growing up. In fact, Wong did write poems about some superstitions I had not heard of before. These include the superstitions about ladybugs, potatoes, roosters, and burying mirrors. As I was reading these superstitions, that I had not heard of before, I was getting a little frustrated because I did not know the superstition even after reading the poem. I was very excited to see that the last few pages of the book explain the origin of each superstition and what the superstition is.
     The illustration in this book are absolutely beautiful. They are so many rich colors and the illustrations fill up the entire page. This definitely adds to the pleasure of reading each poem. I can see myself using this book in the classroom to teach my students how poems can be informative and about anything you want to write about. I think that the students would also enjoy reading about superstitions, especially if they are younger in age.