Haiku presented by Koo

Koo is a charming panda bear who will melt your heart and tickle your funny bone in this very delightful first introduction into the Japanese form of poetry known as haiku. Hi, Koo! A year of seasons by author and illustrator, Jon J. Muth, captures the essence of each season with simple haiku and beautiful paintings that you and your children will want to read over and over.  Very helpful is the author's note defining traditional haiku, "made up of seventeen sound parts called on (pronounced own) --- divided into three lines with five, then seven, then five on." Muth, however, does not adhere to this rigid structure because he believes..."haiku is like an instant captured in words---using sensory images."

Book Review: Maple

I fell in love with Maple, the book and the character, on page one.  Maple is an endearing little girl who is named for the Maple tree planted in her honor before she was born.  The story follows Maple as she grows through the years and the changing seasons with the tree as her constant friend. When she is too noisy mom and dad send her outside to play by her tree.  She sings to, sways with and sometimes pretends to be a tree. She loves her tree but wishes sometimes she had a real play mate.  Then, one Spring day as she is playing under the shade of the tree she is surprised by a newly planted sapling, and then even more surprised to learn she is going to be a big sister. She is delighted with her baby sister. And when she is too noisy (quite often) takes her outside to play and rest beneath the tree's dancing leaves.