Poetry Friday - A review of I Haiku You

When today's poetry title arrived at my house I was thrilled. It was the perfect book to review in February because February is a month when many people think about and give thanks for the people they love. This book celebrates the people who make our days better, and the things that make our life sweeter. It would be a perfect book to give to that special someone.

I haiku you

Betsy Snyder

Poetry Picture book

For ages 5 to 7

Random House, 2012, 978-0-375-86750-7

Every day we have encounters that make our day just a little better. We meet people and animals whose love and affection makes life sweeter, who make the good times richer and the painful times more bearable. There are also things that make our lives richer and more enjoyable.

   For this sweet little poetry picture book Betsy Snyder has created some wonderful haikus that capture special moments and freeze them in time so that we might enjoy them.

   She begins by showing us a little girl who is wishing a little red bird a good morning. For her, the birds “everyday song” is her “favorite alarm clock.”

   Later in the book we meet another girl hugging her teddy bear. She thinks that her precious friend is the “best teddy ever” because it hugs “away tears” and makes all her “boo-boos” better. A teddy is only one of many things that give children pleasure. There is the child who delights in watching sunflowers grow, and for three children on a hot day there is nothing so wonderful as a glass of cold lemonade that makes their taste buds start “cheering.”

   This book gives us the opportunity to journey through a day sharing important moments with children and animals. Throughout the book the artwork beautifully compliments the image-rich haikus.