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Dec 06, 2011

Angelina rated it:

1. Poetry
2. Everyday “boy” activities are captured in haiku form in this humorous picture book of poems.
3. A. Content
B. If I recall correctly, my professor spoke on this book in a lecture and said that some girls didn’t like the fact that this book is geared towards guys and wanted a “Girlku” of sorts. Honestly, I have to disagree with this controversial issue. In my education classes, I have learned that boys tend not to read as much as girls. As a future teacher, I know More...

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Nov 27, 2011

Wendy rated it:

Genre: Junior, Poetry

Summary:

Each season is introduced in the book and what follows are haiku pertaining to both that season and to the intended audience, boys. The subjects of the haiku range from grasshoppers to helicopters, splashing your sister and sword fighting with icicles. In using the haiku format on each page the text is predictable, but centers of actions and concepts that are funny and entertaining for a young male reader.

Critique:

Th More...

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Jan 16, 2011

Jane rated it:

Bob Raczka takes the traditional elements of haiku; the observation of nature, written in present tense, and the 5-7-5 syllable pattern and uses examples of the fun that boys (and girls) can have playing outside with no technology involved to create GUYKU. The reader is taken on a yearlong journey through the seasons. Carefree days filled with flying kites, skipping rocks, building snowmen, and playing with friends are recurring themes the reader will find throughout the book. All of the haikus More...

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Aug 23, 2010

Elizabeth rated it:

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about getting guys to read. Little guys, that is. The figuring is that if you don’t rope boys into the wild world of books while they’re young, you may lose them entirely once they’ve passed the point of no return (say, seventeen or so). So all sort of initiatives have sprung up with dudes in mind. An entire cottage industry, you might say, has surrounded the publication of male-centric fare, and I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point you hear about More...

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Nov 08, 2011

Lindsay rated it:

Genre: Junior Book - Poetry

Summary: This book tells a year of stories for boys. The book is split into seasons: summer, fall, winter and spring. The haiku poems are written in the standard haiku format of 3 lines containing syllable counts of 5, 7, 5. The poems are related to things boys experience in nature during the four seasons.

Critique: (a)This book finds its strength in content of the book. The haiku's are wonderful and imaginative.
(b)This book is extreme More...

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Aug 25, 2011

Celeste rated it:

I am generally suspicious of anything that claims to be "for boys" or "for girls." At the same time, as I am raising my little son, I am always on the lookout for positive images of masculinity. So I figured I should give Guyku a read. In the end, it turned out to be what I feared: a book of poetry that ought to be accessible to every child artificially limited in its scope to exclude half of them. The haiku in the book depict little boys playing in the woods, running around More...

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Jan 09, 2011

Reader rated it:

To be honest, I almost passed over this book because of the title. I assumed haiku for boys might focus on silly, gross-out humor or sports. However, once I opened the book and gave it a chance I was pleasantly surprised. Raczka's collection of haiku is well written and fun with the illustrations add to the collection. Raczka keeps many of the traditional conventions of haiku--finding the beauty in the every day, appreciating nature, and bringing in the seasons, while capturing the playful More...

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Aug 22, 2011

Jackie rated it:

Within the four seasons, Raczka writes a haiku based on his childhood memories. Cleverly written with expressive, laughter-inducing illustrations by Peter Reynolds, Guyku will resonate with boys. At my first quick read through, the illustrations tickled me, but when I went back to savor the words, my own memories of childhood delight and wonder were evoked with appreciation for a simpler way of life.

The form of haiku is explained in the back of the book, as this form of poetry takes o More...

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Oct 13, 2011

Ashley rated it:

Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys is a witty and fun read aloud. I love this book! It's written in 4 parts- the 4 seasons, and tells a story about the different things boys do in those seasons... all in haiku form. It is humorous and really captures each season with its witty word choice and description. This is a great mentor text for discussing Haikus with your students. I also love Dogku by Andrew Clements.

I am a huge fan of Peter H. Reynold's illustrations and I love The Dot... that More...

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Jul 28, 2011

Heather rated it:

In his introduction, Raczka argues that little boys and nature go hand in hand. Together with illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, he takes readers through a year-long romp of haiku celebrating this innate partnership. Full of humor and down-to-earth reflection, the somewhat idealized poems capture the energy of guys out exploring the world. Boys and girls both will relate to poems about splashing in puddles, flying kites, or expressing regret at the end of summer. The simple line and watercolor illus More...

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Oct 21, 2010

Donalyn rated it:

A dream pairing: Bob Raczka and Peter Reynolds. A series of boys travel through the year, one season at a time, enjoying Nature and boyhood. Raczka's poems evoke the playfulness of boys as they put pennies on railroads tracks, throw snowballs at trees, and catch grasshoppers. Reynolds' illustrations include brown, white, and one other color for each season.

My favorite:

With the ember end
of my long marshmallow stick,
I draw on the dark.

I will defini More...

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Jan 08, 2012

Ubalstecha rated it:

Boys and poetry don't really seem to go together, do they? But for poet Bob Racza, given haiku's focus on nature and boys' desire to play outside, they should. And so he has created twenty-four haikus, which he has organized according to season.

Haiku purists will quibble that these are not all true Haikus, given that some are about bikes, sisters and school, but they are definitely all about things boys love (or love to hate). More for the junior reader, teachers will LOVE this bo More...

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Nov 02, 2010

Teresa rated it:

This is really fun and the subjects are funny and very boy-centric--although outdoorsy girls will relate, too. And great illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds of Ish, the Dot, etc. My favorite:

"If this puddle could
talk, I think it would tell me
to splash my sister."

And what other haiku titles and subjects can we invent? buyku--about shopping? (although not natural...) whyku--about how things came to be the way they are? Just this exercise is fun!
P More...

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Dec 30, 2011

Kellie rated it:

A fun introduction to Haiku for children! Divided into seasons, each haiku features boys doing the things boys(and girls)often do. The author explains that every haiku in the book is inspired by his children or his own childhood. There was none of the gross-out humor that is often present in books touted as being "for boys", instead I found this book to be funny, thoughtful, and sweet. The watercolor illustrations were a perfect comliment to these haikus.

Kentucky Bluegras

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Jan 28, 2011

Marcia rated it:

A sweet book of haiku. Honestly, the poems are just as appealing to girls, as Raczka writes us through the seasons of the natural world, but maybe the title will hook reluctant boys. Peter Reynolds' illustrations add the sweetness and skew the book to a younger audience. This would be a good book to use for a haiku writing activity, incorporating a walk outside.
A delight!

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Sep 18, 2011

Beth rated it:

I love that this poetry book was made just for guys. Even though I am not a guy I read the book and it made me laugh. The fact that these poems are real things a guy might do outside makes these poems come alive and you can imagine a guy doing them. I think this book would be good to have in the classroom to get boys interested in poetry.

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Jun 15, 2011

Rll520a_gaylehassan rated it:

A nice way to introduce Haiku to boys. Even though it's a bit young, I would use it with a 3rd grade poetry unit to help show boys how they can write about things of interest. Examples: With baseball cards and/ clothespins, we make our bikes sound/ like motorcycles. Icicles dangle,/ begging to be broken off/ for a short sword fight.

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Feb 11, 2011

Tyler rated it:

This was a delightful introduction to haiku for boys. It moves through the four seasons, starting with Spring, and told entirely through haiku vignettes. Haiku explores nature, which is the inherent environment for young boys, so it works incredibly well.
Haiku is my favorite poetic form, and it's great to see someone introducing it to kids.

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Jun 21, 2011

Vandy rated it:

hAIKU FOR BOYS

if this puddle could
talk, I think it would tell me
to splash my sister

The best part about
kicking this stone home for school
is there are no rules

Winter must be here
Ervrytime I open my
mouth, a cloud comes out

How mnay million snow
flakes will it take to make
snow day tomorrow?

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Jan 07, 2011

Kathryn rated it:

You don't have to be a boy to love GUYKU. I remember doing all of these activities as a kid--even having a puddle beg me to splash my sister. As a grown-up, I think my favorite was:

In a rushing stream,
we turn rocks into a dam.
Hours flow by us.

I also apprciated the author bringing in the traditional Japanese element of seasons in haiku, which is often times overlooked by Western writers. And although the book was far too short, the illustrations capture the wonder and explorat More...

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Aug 04, 2011

Anne rated it:

Captures nature and the seasons like good haiku should - love it! My favorite? Hmm... difficult choice, as they are all amazing but it has to be this winter one - "Winter must be here./ Every time I open my/ mouth, a cloud comes out." This book is a must-have for the little guys in my life.

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Dec 13, 2010

Sandy rated it:

I really like the haikus, the layout, and the illustrations in this book. But I don't at all think that it's just for boys. Will boys like it? Quite possibly. But girls would love it too. Except for the title, this book speaks to a wide audience about playing as the seasons change.

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Nov 10, 2010

DeAnn rated it:

Comical illustrations add to the fun and humor of this book. Haiku for boys. What a concept! But I think some girls would like this book too. Well, maybe not this particular haiku... One of my favorites:
If this puddle could
talk, I think it would tell me
to splash my sister

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Sep 29, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

Enchanting and adorable. (=
(Am I the only one who counts
all the syllables as I read haikus?)

Favorites:

If this puddle could
talk, I think it would tell me
to splash my sister.

&

Last week's snowman looks
under the weather. Must be
a spring allergy.

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May 15, 2011

Laura rated it:

A charming series of boy-centered haiku. A lovely collection of poetry, this book definitely belongs in elementary school libraries. While Raczka has written the collection for boys, the poems will appeal to many readers, not just guys, and are not gross out poems at all.

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Oct 28, 2010

Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) rated it:

I am not a big poetry person. I felt like I never really got it. So I am always pleasantly pleased when something related to poetry catches my eye. I have a few teachers that I think will enjoy this one and can see them using it with some of their students.

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Feb 22, 2011

Kris rated it:

"I watch the worms squirm
and decide to bait my hook
with hot dog instead."

Funny, accessible haiku aimed at boys but enjoyable for us outdoorsy girls, too! Great illustrations with plenty of white space, excellent poetry - this is how to get kids hooked.

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Mar 30, 2011

Kelly rated it:

Who knew that such a simple book could be so interesting? Once you stop counting the syllables, the poems really tell a story and show a lot of the things boys love to do in each season. The illustrations really add to the poems, too.

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Dec 08, 2010

Karen rated it:

I absolutely love this book! And, I didn't always like poetry, either. The haikus so exactly catch boyhood behavior! The illustrations are perfect, too! I love Peter H. Reynolds book, Ish and The Dot. He makes art fun!

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Feb 07, 2011

Krista the Krazy Kataloguer rated it:

Delightful collection of haiku, arranged by season, describing activities that a typical boy would do. The simple illustrations by Peter Reynolds are the perfect accompaniment to the small poems. My favorites are "Who turned off all the crickets? I'm not ready for summer to end" and "If this puddle could talk, I think it would tell me to splash my sister". In the author's note at the end, Raczka says that haiku are perfect poems for boys because they're all about nature, a More...

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