Poetry Friday: Grass Sandals
Although it’s February and feels like winter — at least in my part of the country — February actually marks the beginning of spring in many East Asian countries. The Asian calendar is particularly sensitive to changes of season. When I think of writing about the seasons in poetry, the first form that comes to mind is the haiku and the most famous practitioner of its art, Basho.
Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho by Dawnine Spivak, illustrated by Demi, is a delightful picture book that captures the essence of the wandering poet for children. In it, Basho is featured as a character embarking on a journey. Upon his hat, he writes: “Hat, I will soon show you cherry blossoms” and sets off. Of course, Basho has his adventures — not of the swash-buckling kind, mind you — and he records them in haiku. He wades in rivers, sits under ancient trees, sleeps on grass pillows, and swims in the ocean. This meandering but mindful wandering is presented on each page with images, haikus, and Chinese characters — kanji, as they are known in Japanese — for the most salient natural element presented in the poem. So in addition to being a good book about a famous historical figure, Grass Sandals teaches a little bit of kanji as well!
Illustrator Demi has drawn wonderful images of the traveling Basho on a background of washi — Japanese paper — to great effect. (You can see more of Demi’s artwork in the PaperTigers gallery.) The genial nature of the poet is well reflected in his expressions. Grass Sandals is a good introduction to the poet and the form, and a lovely Asian way of welcoming in a season that might not otherwise feel like spring at all!
This week’s Poetry Friday host is Irene Latham at Live. Love. Explore. – head on over!
February 19th, 2010 at 5:43 am
How wonderful to talk about Basho. Basho was such a wise poet.
Laura Evans
February 19th, 2010 at 11:23 am
I was not aware of this book. It sounds beautiful. Another picture book that introduces children to Basho is “Basho and the Fox”, a fable by Tim Meyers, illus. by Oki S. Han (Marshall Cavendish, 2000). I haven’t read it, but this review from Forward magazine really makes me want to.
February 19th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Thanks for the heads up on this title, Aline. I’ll see if it’s available at my local library!
February 21st, 2010 at 12:51 pm
I’ll have to look for this one for sure – I very much adored Wabi Sabi, which (while not about Basho), included haiku on each page as well, and I also enjoyed Tim Myers’s Basho books.
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:53 am
I love this book – it’s beautifully told – and Demi’s illustrations are simply beautiful: they have an extraordinary blend of translucence and intesity of color.
April 15th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
[...] Dawnine Spivak and illustrated by Demi (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1997); read Sally’s post about this wonderful book. He’s a big fan of Demi’s books too so he soon had it off the [...]