Overview

Haiku poetry is among the most popular forms of verse taught to children everywhere and for hundreds of years Japanese children have been introduced to haiku through the work of Kobayashi Yataro, known as Issa. Stunningly illustrated in full colour, this gorgeous book introduces the story of this revered haiku master to children and presents a special selection of his best-loved poems. An inspirational book for readers young and old about poetry, nature and life. Ages 5 plus.

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9781880000717

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Gollub (Uncle Snake, 1996, etc.) translates 33 of Issa's more than 20,000 haiku, intersperses them through a short biography, and caps it all with an explanation of some of the poems' less obvious images. With the Japanese originals running decoratively along their margins, Stone's appealing formal paintings illustrate the poems literally: children in traditional dress stand with their mouths up and open as Mouth-watering snowflakes fall/lightly, lightly,/heaven's snack, and green melons in a basket do turn to frogs!/If people come near. Gollub explains that the haiku are not presented chronologically, so any connections between them and specific incidents in Issa's troubled life are speculative. Nevertheless, readers will get a glimpse of the poet's extraordinary range of subject and feeling, as well as cogent instruction in how to read and understand these deceptively simple verses. (Kirkus Reviews)

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