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My First Book of Haiku Poems
20 poems in bilingual Japanese and English text; watercolor illustrations
48 pages, Hardcover
Published March 12, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 1, 2020
This book about haiku is designed to introduce children to the form. Poems by nine haiku masters are included. Each poem appears in an English translation, in the original Japanese, and finally in Romani, Japanese written in the Roman alphabet. Each haiku is accompanied by a gorgeous painting illustrating the mood or theme of the poem.
My favorite was this by Bashō :
Clouds now and then
Give them a chance to rest ---
Moon-viewing.
Kumo ori ori
hito o yasumuru
tsukimi kana
The book explains “In Japan, the full moon of the fall season is thought to be the most beautiful of the year, and people come together to view it until late in the night. Here Bashō jokes that the people can give their craning necks a break when the clouds hide the moon."
The book includes a history of haiku and short bios of the nine poets included. Notes to parents and teachers from the translator as well as a note from the artist are included.
This is a book for children that adults will find beautiful and informative.
My favorite was this by Bashō :
Clouds now and then
Give them a chance to rest ---
Moon-viewing.
Kumo ori ori
hito o yasumuru
tsukimi kana
The book explains “In Japan, the full moon of the fall season is thought to be the most beautiful of the year, and people come together to view it until late in the night. Here Bashō jokes that the people can give their craning necks a break when the clouds hide the moon."
The book includes a history of haiku and short bios of the nine poets included. Notes to parents and teachers from the translator as well as a note from the artist are included.
This is a book for children that adults will find beautiful and informative.
August 23, 2019
My First Book of Haiku Poems has twenty bilingual Haiku poems by nine well-known Japanese artists. The watercolor illustrations, coupled with the poems, will open the door to the reader's creativity and imagination. The "food for thought" paragraph following each Haiku encourages deeper thought. It helped me understand the Haiku better, or to see it in a new light. The last Haiku is for the reader to write using the provided watercolor illustration. At the end of the book are nine, short biographies of the Japanese poets, and a message to parents and teachers from the translator. Recommended to elementary grades, specifically I feel for third grade and up.
July 18, 2019
This is a great book for introducing elementary age students to Japanese haiku. The book is also perfect just for pleasure reading.
Each of the 29 haiku is presented first in English, then in Japanese script, and finally in Romaji. On the facing page is a painting by artist Tracy Gallup that echoes the poem, but also adds to it. For example, the haiku by Onitsura:
"Here, come here," I call,
but the fireflies
blithely go their way
is accompanied by a painting of a girl, the moon and stars, plants, and five fireflies, all enclosed inside a mason jar.
On each page, below the poem, are questions to prompt the reader to think more deeply about the poem and the power of imagination. The final page encourages readers to create their own haiku to accompany the facing illustration.
The back matter includes brief biographical notes on each of the nine poets represented: Basho, Buson, Gomei, Issa, Onitsura, Ryota, Shiki, Seishi, and Shou.
Each of the 29 haiku is presented first in English, then in Japanese script, and finally in Romaji. On the facing page is a painting by artist Tracy Gallup that echoes the poem, but also adds to it. For example, the haiku by Onitsura:
"Here, come here," I call,
but the fireflies
blithely go their way
is accompanied by a painting of a girl, the moon and stars, plants, and five fireflies, all enclosed inside a mason jar.
On each page, below the poem, are questions to prompt the reader to think more deeply about the poem and the power of imagination. The final page encourages readers to create their own haiku to accompany the facing illustration.
The back matter includes brief biographical notes on each of the nine poets represented: Basho, Buson, Gomei, Issa, Onitsura, Ryota, Shiki, Seishi, and Shou.
June 28, 2019
This collection not only shares some beautiful poems, it tries to make them accessible and meaningful for a younger audience by including relevant illustrations and imaginative questions (designed to encourage exploration of the poem’s meaning) for each poem. Well done!
February 5, 2020
A gorgeously illustrated collection of haiku poems by some of the most famous Japanese poets (Basho, Buson, Gomei, Issa, Onitsura, Ryota, Shiki, Seishi, Shou), designed to introduce the genre to children. The edition is bilingual - it presents the English translation together with the original Japanese version in script and Romaji. Each haiku poem also comes with a short commentary that tries to give a further "explanation" and more food for thought. (These commentaries can easily be adapted or modified if the young reader has a different idea or interpretation in mind.) There's even a page at the end with an illustration only, that invites the reader to write their own haiku poem.
The paintings paired with each haiku poem are stunning - surreal, colourful, dreamlike and will surely give flight to the imagination.
All in all - highly recommended!
*****
The morning breeze -
and skylarks all together soaring
in a perfect line. (Ryota)
*****
Just being alive,
the poppy flower
and I. (Issa)
The paintings paired with each haiku poem are stunning - surreal, colourful, dreamlike and will surely give flight to the imagination.
All in all - highly recommended!
*****
The morning breeze -
and skylarks all together soaring
in a perfect line. (Ryota)
*****
Just being alive,
the poppy flower
and I. (Issa)
December 4, 2024
I found this book on the Wakelet for Poetry, it was on the website Teaching Books. This books is age range for 5-9yrs old. Chosen for 2020 NCTE Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels List, Winner of 2020 Northern Lights Book Award for Poetry, and Winner of 2019 Skipping Stones Honor Awards. As I was looking through the poems each poem has only two pages with beautiful watercolor images. I even like how the translation of Japanese with English. I found each poem that would be interesting to these young individuals. I would like to get this in my classroom as a way to get the students into listening about poetry. Booklist says: "Each two-page spread of this enigmatic collection of poems features a three-line verse by a haiku master—printed in English, Japanese, and romanized Japanese syllables—accompanied by a full-page painting of a surreal, imaginative scene…Haiku is a mainstay of classroom poetry sections, and this volume does an unusually good job of putting the form in context and emphasizing its evocative, quiet beauty."
July 31, 2021
Charming book of haiku, lavishly illustrated. I appreciated the translation notes.
February 4, 2019
This collection of twenty classic Japanese haiku poems written by great Japanese haiku masters is a wonderful way to introduce your child to the world of poetry.
A fully bilingual book, each haiku is written in original Japanese script, Romaji, and the English translation. Following each haiku is a “food for thought” commentary to encourage your child to read more deeply into each poem. For additional reference, a brief bio on each poet’s life and work is included at the end of the book.
And the illustrations by Gallup are just stunning! Thoughtful “dreamscape” paintings accompany each haiku, bringing them to life. Two of my favorites are of a mother with child holding a butterfly and of a child reaching for the moon. Gallup truly captures the verses. I’ve also fallen in love with the gorgeous endpapers, which showcase each “dreamscape” in the collection.
For insight into the collection (which I found fascinating), there are notes from the translator and artist. Gallup had realized a mutual resonance between some of her paintings and haiku poems by Japanese masters. Together with Ramirez-Christensen, they compiled a beautiful collection of translated haiku and paintings. While the haiku can be read and appreciated on their own, it’s interesting to see how each relates to its accompanying illustration.
Enjoy this mesmerizing adventure of art and poetry with your child!
----
Thank you to the team at Multicultural Children's Book Day and to Tuttle Publishing for providing me a copy to review for MCBD 2019!
A fully bilingual book, each haiku is written in original Japanese script, Romaji, and the English translation. Following each haiku is a “food for thought” commentary to encourage your child to read more deeply into each poem. For additional reference, a brief bio on each poet’s life and work is included at the end of the book.
And the illustrations by Gallup are just stunning! Thoughtful “dreamscape” paintings accompany each haiku, bringing them to life. Two of my favorites are of a mother with child holding a butterfly and of a child reaching for the moon. Gallup truly captures the verses. I’ve also fallen in love with the gorgeous endpapers, which showcase each “dreamscape” in the collection.
For insight into the collection (which I found fascinating), there are notes from the translator and artist. Gallup had realized a mutual resonance between some of her paintings and haiku poems by Japanese masters. Together with Ramirez-Christensen, they compiled a beautiful collection of translated haiku and paintings. While the haiku can be read and appreciated on their own, it’s interesting to see how each relates to its accompanying illustration.
Enjoy this mesmerizing adventure of art and poetry with your child!
----
Thank you to the team at Multicultural Children's Book Day and to Tuttle Publishing for providing me a copy to review for MCBD 2019!
May 22, 2019
I maybe shouldn't have read this right after the guide to writing haiku because it made me super picky.
First of all, the book is gorgeous. Love the illustrations, love the back matter, love the way it is put together.
The poems are well selected and these are fresh translations, which is fun. Love that each poem is written three times: in English, in kanji, and in Japanese pronunciation. The biographies at the back of the poets are great as are the translator's and illustrator's notes.
My only ding on this is I really don't know how I feel about the "food for thought" after each poem. It invites a little reflection, which is always good, but felt like a bit too much for me. I wanted to reflect myself on the interplay of poem and image and not be directed. I did better once I stopped reading them. But that's me. Would a kid need that? Would it help them?
I don't know where I come down on this...I get the theory and I think kids today are so unfamiliar with poetry that maybe the assistance helps, but I also don't like not trusting the reader to do their own work. And I just read this wonderful book on how to write haiku and learned soooo much about it that I didn't know, how classic haiku always contains a seasonal reference and is always the interplay of two images...I kind of think if there needs to be this "food for thought" moment it should be about those things and not just some hey, here is what I the Adult Writing This for you thinks you should think. If they had done that, this is a five star book that I would absolutely share with any age group.
First of all, the book is gorgeous. Love the illustrations, love the back matter, love the way it is put together.
The poems are well selected and these are fresh translations, which is fun. Love that each poem is written three times: in English, in kanji, and in Japanese pronunciation. The biographies at the back of the poets are great as are the translator's and illustrator's notes.
My only ding on this is I really don't know how I feel about the "food for thought" after each poem. It invites a little reflection, which is always good, but felt like a bit too much for me. I wanted to reflect myself on the interplay of poem and image and not be directed. I did better once I stopped reading them. But that's me. Would a kid need that? Would it help them?
I don't know where I come down on this...I get the theory and I think kids today are so unfamiliar with poetry that maybe the assistance helps, but I also don't like not trusting the reader to do their own work. And I just read this wonderful book on how to write haiku and learned soooo much about it that I didn't know, how classic haiku always contains a seasonal reference and is always the interplay of two images...I kind of think if there needs to be this "food for thought" moment it should be about those things and not just some hey, here is what I the Adult Writing This for you thinks you should think. If they had done that, this is a five star book that I would absolutely share with any age group.
April 11, 2019
Totally agree with alittleliterarylove’s review.
Tracy has a unique style and technique that make each drawing totally enchanting. I especially liked the editor’s comments that help children reflect on observations of the world and exploration of their own feelings. The last picture gives space for a child to create their own haiku poem.
I can’t bear to give up my copy to the grandchildren, so I bought three more, one for each of my children to explore with their children.
This book is an excellent introduction to the thought process so important to haiku, poetry and creative writing, skills that need to be nurtured in and out of school. It is a book I will keep, cherish, and recommend to my friends.
Tracy has a unique style and technique that make each drawing totally enchanting. I especially liked the editor’s comments that help children reflect on observations of the world and exploration of their own feelings. The last picture gives space for a child to create their own haiku poem.
I can’t bear to give up my copy to the grandchildren, so I bought three more, one for each of my children to explore with their children.
This book is an excellent introduction to the thought process so important to haiku, poetry and creative writing, skills that need to be nurtured in and out of school. It is a book I will keep, cherish, and recommend to my friends.
October 23, 2019
When the East met the West? One of the most interesting Haiku book. Japanese Haiku and language with modern art illustration.
March 18, 2020
Written without introduction, this collection of haiku from nine Japanese masters of haiku spans the time period from the birth of Basho in 1644 to the death of Seishi in 1994. Each of the twenty poems is accompanied by a dream-like illustration from Gallup, each of which invites the reader to think more deeply about the deceptively simple poems. Each poem is also presented in English, Japanese, and Romaji (phonetic Japanese) with commentary from Ramirez-Christensen encouraging the reader to consider the relation between the poem and illustration as well as the broader meaning of the haiku or what sensations the haiku evokes in the reader. The final illustration has no haiku, but Ramirez-Christensen invites the reader to create his or her own haiku with the illustration as inspiration.
The book does not have a table of contents or index, but it does include brief biographies of each poet at the end as well as a helpful note to parents and teachers about the origin of the book and how to consider and present haiku to children. While the text and illustrations are targeted at children, the book is also set up to facilitate use in an instructional setting. Like each haiku, the book itself is deceptively simple and quite beautiful.
I would highly recommend this book for purchase for both a school library and public library. While it can be enjoyed by an individual child reader, it presents many opportunities for instruction. The book could easily be tied into a writing curriculum, using the haiku and illustrations as prompts for writing haiku or more lengthy compositions, as well as into a social studies unit on Japan or an art class. I view the purchase of my copy (because COVID-19 prevented me from borrowing it from the public library as planned) as a serendipitous addition to my collection in the middle school library where I work. I look forward to incorporating it into future library activities.
The book does not have a table of contents or index, but it does include brief biographies of each poet at the end as well as a helpful note to parents and teachers about the origin of the book and how to consider and present haiku to children. While the text and illustrations are targeted at children, the book is also set up to facilitate use in an instructional setting. Like each haiku, the book itself is deceptively simple and quite beautiful.
I would highly recommend this book for purchase for both a school library and public library. While it can be enjoyed by an individual child reader, it presents many opportunities for instruction. The book could easily be tied into a writing curriculum, using the haiku and illustrations as prompts for writing haiku or more lengthy compositions, as well as into a social studies unit on Japan or an art class. I view the purchase of my copy (because COVID-19 prevented me from borrowing it from the public library as planned) as a serendipitous addition to my collection in the middle school library where I work. I look forward to incorporating it into future library activities.
December 1, 2019
Thanks to Tuttle Publishing for the review copy in conjunction with the 2019 Cybils Awards.
I'm not sure if I like the bilingual-English-Japanese text better than the fanciful artwork, but either way, this one's a keeper. Expertly researched, the author made sure to include the beginning masters of this ancient form of poetry, even thoughtfully inserting what teachers like to call "extensions" on each page to encourage divergent and creative thinking, thereby welcoming the home-schooler and parent to sit alongside the traditionally-schooled kiddo. Don't let the title fool you: MY FIRST BOOK OF HAIKU POEMS is for the big and the small readers and writers.
I especially liked the last page entitled, "A Haiku by You" that encourages the reader to look at all the elements in the final picture and to craft their own haiku. The lives and work of each poet selected at the very end was fascinating!
Highly recommend!
I'm not sure if I like the bilingual-English-Japanese text better than the fanciful artwork, but either way, this one's a keeper. Expertly researched, the author made sure to include the beginning masters of this ancient form of poetry, even thoughtfully inserting what teachers like to call "extensions" on each page to encourage divergent and creative thinking, thereby welcoming the home-schooler and parent to sit alongside the traditionally-schooled kiddo. Don't let the title fool you: MY FIRST BOOK OF HAIKU POEMS is for the big and the small readers and writers.
I especially liked the last page entitled, "A Haiku by You" that encourages the reader to look at all the elements in the final picture and to craft their own haiku. The lives and work of each poet selected at the very end was fascinating!
Highly recommend!
October 16, 2020
Discovering Haiku for the first time as a grown up and I have just read my first book of haiku poems. Officially converted to reading poetry. I love the space on the page, the translation and the gorgeous imagery. Scenes within scenes. Dreamlike. Both words and illustrations.
“It seems to like
being pillowed on my arm-
the hazy moon.” -Buson
It really is a joy to read. And what I love about this discovery is that each page has a little footnote that will no doubt prove to be invaluable when reading in a classroom. This book is going in my little teacher basket of tricks. For this poem - did you ever rest your head on the arm of someone you love? Such a sweet opening for book talk.
Then ample food for thought at the end, including an illustration and a blank page for “A Haiku by You”.
A must have for every home and class.
“It seems to like
being pillowed on my arm-
the hazy moon.” -Buson
It really is a joy to read. And what I love about this discovery is that each page has a little footnote that will no doubt prove to be invaluable when reading in a classroom. This book is going in my little teacher basket of tricks. For this poem - did you ever rest your head on the arm of someone you love? Such a sweet opening for book talk.
Then ample food for thought at the end, including an illustration and a blank page for “A Haiku by You”.
A must have for every home and class.
December 21, 2025
This unique book of poetry retells Japanese master's haiku with the Japanese writing, transliteration (Romaji) so it can be read with English characters, as well as includes a commentary at the bottom of the page. Each page is paired with Tracy Gallup's magical and sometimes mystical feeling in the paintings. As each translation of Japanese Haiku is its own interpretation, so is the dreamlike artwork by Tracy Gallup. We all see connections for ourselves and the poems and commentary may guide us, but each time we revisit this beautiful book we may find new responses as each day brings new emotions and new reactions to our natural world.
Haiku is my favorite poetry form and that may have something to do with how much I connected to this book. I hope my students find it as engaging as I do!
Haiku is my favorite poetry form and that may have something to do with how much I connected to this book. I hope my students find it as engaging as I do!
February 13, 2020
I don't normally review picture books, but I loved this book!!! I love it for my kids, but I also love it for myself. I like how it includes three versions of the poems (English, Japanese characters, romaji). I also like the explanations and questions that go along with each poem. My kids became interested in Matsuo Basho after reading the Magic Tree House book Dragon of the Red Dawn, so we got this book to read some of his poems. It is absolutely beautiful, and gives some lovely food for thought along with interesting illustrations. I highly recommend this book for all ages.
July 7, 2020
There's so much to love about this book. It has haiku by nine Japanese poets. On the right side of each two-page spread is an illustration that works in conversation with the haiku. On the left page of each two-page spread is the haiku in English, in Japanese characters, and in Japanese transliterated to English. There's a small paragraph of writing that invites the reader to consider the meaning of the words, the ways the haiku and illustration work together, and often asks a question for the reader to ponder.
September 2, 2021
I'm so happy I bought this book. It's absolutely stunning. I bought it because I was teaching children haikus (it arrived too late for me to use, but I have it now for the future). The haikus provoke imagination, and I love that it's bilingual (I'm learning Japanese), but the bit that bowls me over with this book is the pictures- some are a little disturbing but all are magnificent and beautiful. I know I will spend many a happy moment going through this book.
Read
September 23, 2022I forgot to review this when I read it last month. I do remember that I read it twice, about a week apart, because it was interesting. I also remember that I didn't love the interpretative suggestions or the illustrations, though I can't really point to why I didn't. If your library has it, and you're interested, I recommend that you investigate.
April 30, 2023
I found this book by searching for bilingual haiku at Amazon.
I'm trying to learn Japanese and wanted some interesting text to help me learn the hiragana script.
This children's book fills that need, but it also would make an excellent gift for any child. The combination of illustrations, translations, Japanese text, and explanatory questions is delightful and inspiring.
I'm trying to learn Japanese and wanted some interesting text to help me learn the hiragana script.
This children's book fills that need, but it also would make an excellent gift for any child. The combination of illustrations, translations, Japanese text, and explanatory questions is delightful and inspiring.
April 5, 2019
Cataloged as E but more appropriate for older kids
April 19, 2019
Remarkable and very artisitic, not just for kids.
October 30, 2019
Love the dual language and it captures the real Hiku with the poems and the illustrations
January 4, 2020
could be very good for teachers to use in teaching haikus
April 29, 2021
Perfect to introduce this poetry form.
October 27, 2022
absolutely beautiful
What a delicious book for children of all ages, including me. The artwork is stunning and the haiku poetry stellar.
What a delicious book for children of all ages, including me. The artwork is stunning and the haiku poetry stellar.
November 15, 2022
The drawings in this book are beautiful and I love seeing the Japanese script and the romaji along with the poem translations.
February 12, 2024
Love love love the book!
March 6, 2025
“When I look back, the one I just met on the road vanished in the mist”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews