Born in 1763 on a farm in central Japan, Issa began writing haiku as a young child. Matthew Gollub has integrated the story of Issa's life and selections of his best-known work with Kazuko Stone's visual interpretations in the form of whimsical watercolors. Full color.

Learn the key techniques and strategies for writing haiku in English from acclaimed haiku poet, teacher, and translator Michael Dylan Welch. This book emphasizes the most effective targets for haiku poetry, ones that are usually not taught in schools. There's more to haiku, and less, than you might think. This concise book provides just the information you need to learn the art of haiku and to start becoming a haiku poet.About the Author Michael Dylan Welch has published his essays, reviews, translations, haiku, and other poetry in hundreds of journals and anthologies, and has won numerous awards for his work. He has served for many years as vice president of the Haiku Society of America, and served two terms as poet laureate of Redmond, Washington, where he also curates two poetry reading series. Michael also cofounded the Haiku North America conference (1991) and the American Haiku Archives (1996), founded the Tanka Society of America (2000), and started National Haiku Writing Month in 2010 (www.nahaiwrimo.com and on Facebook). Visit his personal website, devoted mostly to haiku, at www.graceguts.com.Endorsements “The real secret to becoming a haiku poet is to start writing haiku.” From the foreword by Aubrie Cox“For many years Michael Dylan Welch’s essays on haiku have guided newcomers and seasoned poets alike. With characteristic authority and humor, Becoming a Haiku Poet is yet another of his important contributions to the study and understanding of haiku poetry.” Charles Trumbull, editor emeritus of Modern Haiku“Michael Dylan Welch’s knowledge and experience with haiku is recognized internationally. He always has time to assist new poets starting out on the haiku path, to engage in a conversation about poetics, or to recommend a current essay or book. He never tires of answering the question: What is a haiku, anyway? Becoming a Haiku Poet is Michael’s concise and informative answer.” Terry Ann Carter, president of Haiku Canada

What is a haiku? It sounds like a sneeze. And isn't a lantern a light source? Actually, they are two types of ancient Japanese poetry. Award-winning author Brian P. Cleary explains how each form works―and shows how these little poems can contain big surprises! If It Rains Pancakes is packed with poems to make you chuckle, puzzle, and ponder. And when you’ve finished reading, you can try your hand at writing your own haiku and lanterns!

The biennial Haiku North America conference celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary with Fire in the Treetops. This anthology assembles all the haiku and senryu published in previous conference anthologies. An extensive introduction by editor Michael Dylan Welch explores the history and future of the conference, and short essays by thirteen contributors feature poems selected from each conference. Christopher Patchel provides linocut artwork. “The art of haiku is mature and popular in the English language. If the existence and success of the biennial Haiku North America conferences do not sufficiently attest to this, now comes additional proof. Fire in the Treetops compiles more than a thousand haiku and senryu from all thirteen HNA anthologies from 1991 to 2015, a time when poets were stretching their wings, shaking off the restraints of Japanese traditions, and exploring new, individual approaches to this historical poetic genre. The poets whose work appears here comprise a veritable who’s who of English-language haiku. I can hardly think of a single prominent North American haiku poet whose name cannot be found here. Fire in the Treetops chronicles the florescence of North American haiku and we might well consider the index of poets to be its pantheon. Michael Dylan Welch has done an enormous service for the North American haiku community.” —Charles Trumbull, editor emeritus, Modern Haiku, and past president, Haiku Society of America “Haiku North America is probably the most ambitious haiku event ever attempted outside of Japan. Everyone taking part in this coming-of-age celebration for English-language haiku will be helping to make literary history.” —Cor van den Heuvel, on the back cover of the first HNA conference anthology, Harvest

"Haikus are quite hard You always have to count them ...Chunky Applesauce?" "Haikus are Hard" is a hilarious story told entirely in haiku about a student struggling to finish a project. With silly mishaps and beautiful illustrations, learning how to write a haiku has never been more fun! "Haikus are Hard" is sure to have you counting on your fingers and making your own haikus.

In H Is For Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z, the late poet Sydell Rosenberg, a charter member of the Haiku Society of America and a New York City public school teacher, and illustrator Sawsan Chalabi offer an A-Z compendium of haiku that brings out the fun and poetry in everyday moments.

NATIONAL HAIKU WRITING MONTH, also known as NaHaiWriMo, celebrates the world's shortest poetry. When? Every February, the year's shortest month. This book's 324 haiku and senryu represent 100 participating poets from around the world, selected by NaHaiWriMo founder Michael Dylan Welch. Ron C. Moss contributes haiga artwork for 28 featured poems. Open the jumble box "NaHaiWriMo gets me writing every day." -Johnny Baranski, Vancouver, Washington "NaHaiWriMo is an endless inspiration " -Kashinath Karmakar, Durgapur, India "Thanks, NaHaiWriMo, for being my psychotherapist for February." -Michael Nickels-Wisdom, Spring Grove, Illinois "NaHaiWriMo offers a sense of community and belonging and sharing-it is just wonderful " -Daphne Purpus, Vashon, Washington "I did it-one haiku a day throughout February And now I'm not sure if I can stop." -Tore Sverredal, G teborg, Sweden Visit NaHaiWriMo at www.nahaiwrimo.com, or on Facebook at https: //www.facebook.com/NaHaiWriMo/.

A creature whispers:\nIf not for the cat,And the scarcity of cheese,I could be content.\nWho is this creature?What does it like to eat?Can you solve the riddle?\nSeventeen haiku composed by master poet Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by renowned artist Ted Rand ask you to think about seventeen favorite residents of the animal kingdom in a new way. On these glorious and colorful pages you will meet a mouse, a skunk, a beaver, a hummingbird, ants, bald eagles, jellyfish, and many others. Who is who? The answer is right in front of you. But how can you tell? Think and wonder and look and puzzle it out!

you gasp as I roar, my mane exploding, sizzling― lion of the sky! Haiku meet riddles in this wonderful collection from Laura Purdie Salas. The poems celebrate the seasons and describe everything from an earthworm to a baseball to an apple to snow angels, alongside full-color illustrations.

This companion to Earth Verse: Haiku from the Ground Up soars into space with a perfect fusion of poetry and science, accompanied by breathtaking illustrations.\\none minuscule speck\ngrows into the universe\na mind-boggling birth\\nThis stunning meeting of poetic form and luminous artwork transports us out of the bounds of Earth, past a lunar eclipse, beyond the orbiting planets, and into glowing galaxies and twinkling constellations. Sally M. Walker uses her award-winning skill as a writer of nonfiction to explore space through clever haiku, accompanied by narrative explanations of wonders that are out of this world. Illustrator Matthew Trueman imagines the explosive Big Bang and awe-inspiring meteor showers in spectacular views that no telescope could offer. Comprehensive, well-researched back matter further explores such topics as constellations and astronomers, the birth of the universe, stars, the solar system, moons and eclipses, asteroids, meteors, and comets, as well as a glossary of terms, a bibliography, and online resources for readers with an eye to what lies beyond Earth.\\nFrom School Library Journal\\nGr 5-8-This collection of haiku about outer space combines cleverly descriptive words with rich illustrations for an artistic and scientific look beyond our world. Walker's haiku endow scientific spaces with personality: "gaudy Milky Way/ spiral arms blossom outward/ galactic pinwheel." Pluto is described as resilient: "now a dwarf planet/ Pluto still circles the sun/ its heart unbroken." The moon is playful: "playing hide-and-seek/ the moon waits in Earth's shadow:/ ‘Try to find me, Sun.'" The perspective of Trueman's illustrations will make readers feel as if they are floating in the middle of the galaxy and can see the planets with their own eyes. Stars are described as "stellar infernos/ heat waves of radiant light/blazing energy." The words sit on a page swirling with yellows, reds, browns, and blacks. The palette consists largely of deep blues, textured grays, and dark reds that blend to create a soft effect. Back matter includes more information on the universe, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. VERDICT This creative, beautiful, and educational book will find a home on library shelves. Purchase to bring more STEM to poetry collections.-Florence Simmonsα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Rocks, fossils, earthquakes.Seventeen short syllables?Earth Science haiku!In a stunning combination of haiku and impressionistic (but accurate) art, this one-of-a-kind book encourages readers to think playfully about our planet and its wondrous processes. Sibert Medal–winning author Sally M. Walker covers Earth’s many marvels — fossilized skeletons of plants and animals, terrific volcanic eruptions, the never-ending hydrologic cycle — in sometimes straightforward, sometimes metaphoric three-line haikus. Expertly drawn art by William Grill, author-illustrator of Shackleton’s Journey, provides a visual reference for each poem. In clear and creative back matter, Walker and Grill further use their skills to provide additional detailed explanations for the science behind each concept. A unique, artistic intersection of poetry and science, Earth Verse is sure to enthrall any and all readers interested in the world around them.

**Winner of 2019 Skipping Stones Honor Awards****Chosen for 2020 NCTE Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels List**Escape into a dreamy world of watercolors and nature-inspired haiku.My First Book of Haiku Poems introduces children to this ancient poetry form that's still a favorite among teachers, parents and children. These concise poems are easy for readers of all ages to understand and appreciate. Each of these 20 classic poems by Issa, Shiki, Basho, and other great haiku masters is paired with a stunning original painting by award-winning illustrator Tracy Gallup—which children will want to dive into and adults will want to frame. A fully bilingual children's book, My First Book of Haiku Poems includes the original versions of the Japanese poems (in Japanese script and Romanized form) on each page alongside the English translation to form a complete cultural experience. Commentaries offer parents and teachers ready-made "food for thought" to share with young readers and stimulate a conversation about each work.

The perfect combination of origami, haiku, and Japanese art all in one bookThis stunning book features three beautiful Japanese art forms in one. For each animal or object, children will be able to read the haiku, enjoy a corresponding work from the British Museum collection, and then make the origami figure! With clear, simple directions for thirteen animals or objects and fifty sheets of origami paper, this is the perfect introduction to the art of paper folding.

A remarkable celebration of Richard Wright, poetry, and contemporary black boys at play. From walking a dog to watching a sunset to finding a beetle, Richard Wright's haiku puts everyday moments into focus. Now, more than fifty years after they were written, these poems continue to reflect our everyday experiences. Paired with the photo-collage artwork of Nina Crews, Seeing into Tomorrow celebrates the lives of contemporary African American boys and offers an accessible introduction to one of the most important African American writers of the twentieth century.