This is book of haiku written by Issa about seasons changing. ( )

Follow this family through the four seasons and learn how they feel about each season. Read and feel the emotions they feel as the year goes by. This book is an English translation of Japanese Haikus that depict the seasons. The book starts at the beginning of spring and the liveliness of the children and ends also at the return of spring. As the seasons go, the grandfather who is always with the children becomes old and at the end of winter, the readers will see that the family is at the graveyard. Although this is a very emotional story, it also portrays the reality of life.

The Haikus are written beautifully and even though the translations do not follow the traditional 5-7-5 phrase, it has the traditional 17 syllables per haiku. The words used for each seasons describes the actions, emotions, meanings that the readers can relate to. The haikus are short and written using easy vocabulary, making it an easy read for children of all age.

The illustrations accompanies the haikus and paints the actual image for the readers. The colors are chosen to match the seasons and even without knowing what section the reader is in, they will be able to tell the season by looking at the artworks. The illustrator uses traditional rice paper, wood plank, pencil, and paint to bring the story to life.

This book can be a great addition to a library as well as a classroom. It can be used as a lesson-based book to learn about different type of poetry. ( )

Kobayasa Issa celebrates joyful moments and family togetherness along with the four seasons through Haiku. The simple words but full of meanings are the power of this book. Beautiful illustrations and Haiku are working together to put meanings in every single page.

I like to see how the illustration allows the readers get more understanding and feelings toward words in Haiku. Brian did a wonderful job in the illustrations by combining traditional materials such as rice paper, wood plank, pencil, and paint in untraditional ways. His illustration technique successfully captures the haiku deep meanings.

The way G. Brian Karas portray the people is also amazing. I can tell how people in the book are very expressive and suit the haiku. I really like how the people look like. Soft texture and pastel colors bring peaceful to the readers.

Issa invites the readers to appreciate the moments that happen in a family. How grateful it is to have people we love with us and also honor and remember people who had gone. There is one illustration that shows all the characters are in a funeral in winter. If I pick up this moment, it reminds me to what Indonesian people usually do in the coming Christmas. It is a tradition where people come to funeral before Christmas in order to remembering family who had passed away.

One interesting craft found in this book is an image of a chair that has been in the backyard of the family house and be with them in every season they have. Therefore, it is a great example of a poetry children’s book to be used with English learners. Children and teachers together can learn the theme of extraordinary moment in a year through different seasons that is framed through beautiful and meaningful haiku. ( )

Illustrations incredibly rich in texture accompany charming haikus about the four seasons.