Poetry Friday: Haiku for You

What is haiku? A very old form of short poems that originated in Japan. There are some wonderful books of both traditional and American haiku for children these days, most with gorgeous illustrations. Here are a few you will love to read and look at. The first book on the list also tells the story of the poet Basho's travels, and it includes some of his haiku. It's one of my favorites!

Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho by Dawnine Spivak

Red Dragonfly on My Shoulder, translated by Sylvia Cassedy and Kunihiro Suetake

Stone Bench in an Empty Park, selected by Paul B. Janeczko

One Leaf Rides the Wind: Counting in a Japanese Garden by Celeste Davidson Mannis

Here's one by Nikki Grimes in Stone Bench in an Empty Park:

Scarlet butterfly

posing on my handlebars

hitching a free ride.