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Cool Melons- Turn to Frogs!: The Life and Poems of Issa
This biography of Japanese poet Issa introduces readers to over 30 of his best-loved haikus.
A beautifully illustrated portrait of Issa, the renowned Japanese poet, includes selections of his graceful haikus, simple and lovely poems that capture the mystery and beauty of the natural world and that provide solace in troubled times.
A beautifully illustrated portrait of Issa, the renowned Japanese poet, includes selections of his graceful haikus, simple and lovely poems that capture the mystery and beauty of the natural world and that provide solace in troubled times.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 18, 2019
The title and the cover art seemed so at odds with what I expected of the biography of a life filled with loss and tribulations. I feel the story itself struck a good balance, showing the sorrows but also the joys in Issa's life, particularly how nature was a constant joy and solace to him. This is expressed so beautifully in his poems. The chosen haiku are skillfully paired to mirror events in Issa's lifetime and the illustrations are pleasant and evocative. The author's note provides further details on Issa's life as well as the nature of haiku, the challenges of translating the Japanese into English, and clues that the haiku provide (for example, traditionally, they must always tie to a season though don't explicitly state the season one would discern it from the kigo (a word or phrase that suggests the season indirectly -- for example, "blossom" suggest spring or "firefly" suggests summer.) I think it's well worth reading.
November 4, 2017
Interesting read on the life and poetry of Japan's Kobayashi Yatarō, or Issa. A great introduction to haikus for kids and adults. Issa is known as one of Japan's haiku masters, and my kids and I immediately loved reading him. He had a beautiful way of expressing himself in only three lines illustrating his life through nature...brilliant.
December 11, 2022
Cool Melons-Turn to Frogs!: The life and Poems of Issa is an ALA Notable Children's Book. While it is an older publication(1998), it is a great book! I came across this book, unbeknown to me, in my classroom library and read it for the purpose of this assignment. I fell in love with this book. It is a biography of the Japanese poet Issa (Kobayashi Yataro) and an introduction and collection of Haikus. The Haikus are translated from Japanese to english by Matthew Gollub. The book includes paintings by Kazuko G. Stone that add so much to the tone and beauty of the poetry. The original Haiku poems are written in authenthic Japanese calligraphy and visible on the edge of the pages. I think this is a great book to introduce Haikus and poetry in the classroom. The book offers opportunities to explore vocabulary, mood, tone, figurative language and so much more. This can be a book for all ages. It can be a read aloud for a younger audience or it can be read independently at the third grade level.
July 25, 2019
This book offers numerous haiku poems written by Kobayashi Issa and translated into English. Instead of changing the words to match the syllabic meter required for the standard haiku poem, Matthew Gollub chose to "interpret the haiku succinctly, and otherwise not complicate their simplicity and charm." (p. 40 - unpaged)
The illustrations, created using watercolor and colored pencil, are gorgeous and help to convey the wonder of nature reflected in the poems as well as the delightful experiences that inspired the poet. The Japanese calligraphy, presenting each poem in its original form, is also quite lovely.
I really enjoyed reading more about Issa's life in the short biographical bits that are included on various pages throughout the book.
This book was featured as one of the selections for the April 2019: Haiku poetry books discussion for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
Some of my favorites:
"A kitten
stamps on falling leaves
holds them to the ground." (p. 7 - unpaged)
"Rest here
sleepy butterfly,
I'll lend you my lap." (p. 10 - unpaged)
"A silent toad -
the face of one
bursting with much to say." (p. 12 - unpaged)
"A newborn butterfly
a dog's dish - a place
to sleep through the night!" (p. 17 - unpaged)
"Needlework -
a traveling man's
comfort this autumn night." (p. 22 - unpaged)
"A distant mountain
shimmers in the
dragonfly's eye." (p. 26 - unpaged)
"In this world
even among insects,
some sing well, some don't." (p. 33 - unpaged)
"Cool melons -
turn to frogs!
If people should come near." (p. 35 - unpaged)
The illustrations, created using watercolor and colored pencil, are gorgeous and help to convey the wonder of nature reflected in the poems as well as the delightful experiences that inspired the poet. The Japanese calligraphy, presenting each poem in its original form, is also quite lovely.
I really enjoyed reading more about Issa's life in the short biographical bits that are included on various pages throughout the book.
This book was featured as one of the selections for the April 2019: Haiku poetry books discussion for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
Some of my favorites:
"A kitten
stamps on falling leaves
holds them to the ground." (p. 7 - unpaged)
"Rest here
sleepy butterfly,
I'll lend you my lap." (p. 10 - unpaged)
"A silent toad -
the face of one
bursting with much to say." (p. 12 - unpaged)
"A newborn butterfly
a dog's dish - a place
to sleep through the night!" (p. 17 - unpaged)
"Needlework -
a traveling man's
comfort this autumn night." (p. 22 - unpaged)
"A distant mountain
shimmers in the
dragonfly's eye." (p. 26 - unpaged)
"In this world
even among insects,
some sing well, some don't." (p. 33 - unpaged)
"Cool melons -
turn to frogs!
If people should come near." (p. 35 - unpaged)
October 24, 2014
Magical picture book biography of a famous haiku writer in Japanese history. A boy from a middle class farmer is dedicated to his education and writing of haiku. When his mother dies and the father remarries, the mother forces the boy to care for the children she has by his father and bullies him to give up schooling and farm alongside his father. The father doesn't want the boy to give up his education and sends him away fearing that the stepmother might ruin the boy's chances at life. As he grows into a man, he learns haiku from a master teacher and eventually runs the school. Feeling constrained by the school's feeling of propriety and how to write haiku. He gives up on the school and goes back home to take charge of his inheritance. He marries and has children but they don't survive, causing him grief. He uses haiku to channel his grief and becomes one of the greatest haiku writers. His name - Brother Issa. The illustrations are just as great as the writing. Wonderful book!
July 26, 2009
Since I'm trying to learn about Haiku, this was the perfect book. Matthew Gollub translated poems of a renowned Japanese Haiku writer Issa. Gollub translates the Japanese but does not fall into the trap of trying to forge the English translations into the 5-7-5 syllables as often taught in elementary schools. (The syllable count works for Japanese - not English). Beautifully illustrated by Kazuko G. Stone. The end paper explains about the translation and about writing haiku in English. This is the perfect book to understand haiku.
September 28, 2025
Even though this is a children's picture book, it might be the very best Issa haiku book I've read — and I've read many. The translations are marvelous, the art perfectly captures Issa's haiku, and the brief telling of Issa's tragic life is handled accurately but appropriately for children.
I knew I would love this during the opening description of Issa's childhood that — unmentioned — references one of his most famous poems. Issa would spend the winter inside near the fireplace. Then when spring returned, he would rush outside where the sounds of laughing children would melt away the snow.
The art is not flashy. It's plain but with a richness that brings the haiku to life. Each page features the calligraphy for the haiku subtly down the outside edge with what looks to me like chalk and pencil drawings showing scenes from Issa's life beside a haiku and sometimes narrative text.
On one page, it mentions how Issa's mom died when he was three and how is grandmother raised him. He would often play alone in the woods, making friends with insects and animals. A drawing shows a little boy in a blue patterned robe and sandals, crouched with his hand out to a tiny bird. Motherless sparrow,/ come play/ with me. In brief notes at the end, we learn Issa wrote that poem when he was six years old.
The book's sweet humor and gentle handling of death elevates it to classic status for me. I won't be able to convey it in words, but I just loved one page with a dove and an owl sitting in robes atop tatami mats with cherry blossoms in the rain outside a window behind them. The text mentions that, at age 51, Issa married a young woman whom he likened to a dove. Spring rain —/ The dove tells the owl/ to fix his worried face.
Rest here
sleepy butterfly,
I'll lend you my lap
A kitten
stamps on falling leaves,
holds them to the ground
O wild goose,
how young were you
when you set out alone
I knew I would love this during the opening description of Issa's childhood that — unmentioned — references one of his most famous poems. Issa would spend the winter inside near the fireplace. Then when spring returned, he would rush outside where the sounds of laughing children would melt away the snow.
The art is not flashy. It's plain but with a richness that brings the haiku to life. Each page features the calligraphy for the haiku subtly down the outside edge with what looks to me like chalk and pencil drawings showing scenes from Issa's life beside a haiku and sometimes narrative text.
On one page, it mentions how Issa's mom died when he was three and how is grandmother raised him. He would often play alone in the woods, making friends with insects and animals. A drawing shows a little boy in a blue patterned robe and sandals, crouched with his hand out to a tiny bird. Motherless sparrow,/ come play/ with me. In brief notes at the end, we learn Issa wrote that poem when he was six years old.
The book's sweet humor and gentle handling of death elevates it to classic status for me. I won't be able to convey it in words, but I just loved one page with a dove and an owl sitting in robes atop tatami mats with cherry blossoms in the rain outside a window behind them. The text mentions that, at age 51, Issa married a young woman whom he likened to a dove. Spring rain —/ The dove tells the owl/ to fix his worried face.
Rest here
sleepy butterfly,
I'll lend you my lap
A kitten
stamps on falling leaves,
holds them to the ground
O wild goose,
how young were you
when you set out alone
Want to Read
December 19, 2019Book Title: Cool Melons- Turn to Frogs
Author/Illustrator: Matthew Gollub/Kazuko G. Stone
Reading Level: P
Book Level: 3.3
Book Summary: As a young boy Issa was attracted to all kinds of wildlife including birds, insects, and other small creatures. Issa’s teacher noticed his troubles from home and encouraged him to write in haiku. The young boy powers through challenging times and uses haiku to show his feelings. His troubled home life led him to continue traveling and learn more about the art of haiku poetry.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits
Ideas:
I think a lot of students would be able to relate to struggling times as Issa does in this text. I would incorporate this book into our poetry haiku lesson and have students relate to Issa on creating their own haiku poem on either nature or something that might bring them happy thoughts.
Presentation:
As Issa does in his poetry I would have my students draw a picture to reflect the meaning to them in their haiku poem.
Author/Illustrator: Matthew Gollub/Kazuko G. Stone
Reading Level: P
Book Level: 3.3
Book Summary: As a young boy Issa was attracted to all kinds of wildlife including birds, insects, and other small creatures. Issa’s teacher noticed his troubles from home and encouraged him to write in haiku. The young boy powers through challenging times and uses haiku to show his feelings. His troubled home life led him to continue traveling and learn more about the art of haiku poetry.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits
Ideas:
I think a lot of students would be able to relate to struggling times as Issa does in this text. I would incorporate this book into our poetry haiku lesson and have students relate to Issa on creating their own haiku poem on either nature or something that might bring them happy thoughts.
Presentation:
As Issa does in his poetry I would have my students draw a picture to reflect the meaning to them in their haiku poem.
April 4, 2024
The life of iconic Haiku poet ISSA is portrayed in a combination of narrative text and actual Haiko poems he wrote throughout his life. The grace of the narratives fully complements and showcases the featured poems, with vertical illustration and the poem itself written in Japanese characters, top to bottom, on facing pages. In total, the book provides an immersive cultural experience for young readers, providing connection to Issa asa child and then later in his life.
Originally released in 1998, this treatment of Issa's biography and translations of his poems is timeless and tender, appealing to readers and audiences of any age.
Originally released in 1998, this treatment of Issa's biography and translations of his poems is timeless and tender, appealing to readers and audiences of any age.
February 22, 2021
A good version of the life of Issa, a writer of haiku, for children, with translations of some of his poems (sadly, in translation they do not retain the traditional haiku structure). A beautiful book, and the a story well told.
June 10, 2017
This book is just lovely! It is haiku for both young and old, along with a touching story of Issa.
I enjoyed reading this,
It made my eyes and heart cry,
Such simplicity.
💙💛💚
I enjoyed reading this,
It made my eyes and heart cry,
Such simplicity.
💙💛💚
October 4, 2017
The illustrations make the book. The story of Issa’s life is blandly narrated. Some of the haiku are interesting.
September 25, 2020
Beautiful picture book abut the Japanese poet Issa.
September 2, 2024
An attractive enough picture book, but it did not help me “get” Haiku at all. If there’s depth here, I was unable to perceive it.
September 20, 2016
I am happy to share this older poetry book and biography. I loved Issa’s story, one of love-for haiku, and one of sorrow--much loss and rejection. With haiku on every page, accompanied by the original language and gorgeous illustrations, it is a biography that entertains the reader as well as teaches the writer.
Read
June 2, 2016What I thought about this book is that the man named Issa had a hard life his stepmother treated him poorly she never let him studie when he was a child for school.He had to leave at the age of 14 because his stepmother hated him.He worked as an apprentice for a very professional poet for 30 years he wanted to see his father but he knew he couldn't because of his stepmother.At the age of 37 he returned to see his father his father was very ill and shortly after his father passed away.then when Issa was 51 he married a woman named Kiku soon Kiku gave birth to a baby girl name sato but when sato was 2 she died of smallpox.Issa continued to face much sorrow he lost one child after another then eventually his wife Kiku passed away.Issa 10 years later he died at the age of 64 in his snowy village.
March 31, 2021
30 haiku interspersed with an abbreviated account of Issa's life, which was not very happy and contained a lot of childhood neglect, familial strife, poverty, and the loss of several children as an adult, making a biography of Issa an odd choice for a children's book. The translations are lovely, though, and each page has a single poem with a delightful watercolor to illustrate it, and along the outer margin of each page the original haiku is written vertically in cursive calligraphy.
The thoughtful author's note at the back addresses how the haiku were chosen, presented, and translated, has a brief explanation of the form, and even includes a few tidbits about Japanese culture and a brief pronunciation guide, which means I finally learned to pronounce Issa as EE-sa.
Contains: death of a parent; death of children; death of a spouse.
The thoughtful author's note at the back addresses how the haiku were chosen, presented, and translated, has a brief explanation of the form, and even includes a few tidbits about Japanese culture and a brief pronunciation guide, which means I finally learned to pronounce Issa as EE-sa.
Contains: death of a parent; death of children; death of a spouse.
March 12, 2009
Beautifully written and illustrated book about the popular Japanese Haiku poet Kobayashi Yataro, better known as Issa. The biographical information is complemented by several of his haiku. Within the text is an English translation; the Japanese calligraphy is painted along the side margins. Readers also receive glimpses of Japanese culture in the late 1700's/early 1800's. Appendix includes information about haiku.
March 23, 2019
This picture book biography of Issa is succinct and interspersed with 33 examples of his haiku, of the more than 20,000 he wrote. Each page has one haiku, accompanied by an illustration of the haiku. The original Japanese wording of each haiku is printed vertically on the outside border of each page, in cursive Japanese writing. An author's note at the back gives a few more details about Issa, and about haiku poetry in general.
December 1, 2011
This story is a biography about a haiku poet, Issa, combined with some of Issa's poetry. It has beautiful illustrations and the poetry within the book causes the reader to take a deeper look at the things in the world the way that Issa does.
I like how this book combines the poetry of Issa along with his life story. The illustrations are very pretty as well.
I like how this book combines the poetry of Issa along with his life story. The illustrations are very pretty as well.
March 11, 2011
Beautiful and touching poems that tell the story of the poet.
October 4, 2011
A great story of a Japanese girl's life incorporated with poetry and dramatic colors. It will make children (and yourself) look at all living things a little bit differently.
July 14, 2012
So good--intro to haiku, biography, lovely art.
April 1, 2016
Finally a book that shows and describes haiku! Now i get it!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews