Haiku Baby (Board book)

~ (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Betsy Snyder's first board book as an author-illustrator, Haiku Baby follows a tiny bluebird, the book's would-be protagonist, as it visits its various animal companions--from an elephant that shades the bird with a parasol to a fox in a meadow and a whale in the ocean. The little bird's story is told primarily in pictures, and through the book's six haiku: rain, flower, sun, leaf, snow, and--of course, it would not be a board book without--the moon, making it ideal for the bedtime line-up. Adorable collage-cut illustrations work nicely with the haiku form to give the book a whimsical, yet serene, feel. And the haiku are light and fun without being too cutesy. Index tabs on the right margin, with pictures that tie to each of the poems (leaf, raindrop, snowflake, etc.), create a unique look, and make it easy for toddlers to flip through the pages on their own without having them stick together like they can with other board books. Snyder excels at visual storytelling and short forms, possibly a talent she honed as a designer/illustrator in the kids' greeting card business. In the world of board books, this slender little volume really stands out. --Heidi Broadhead

Product Description

IN TICKLY-TOE GRASS
a buttercup offers up
yellow nose kisses.

The simple delights in baby’s natural world—a bird, a fish, a leaf, a snowflake, a raindrop—are celebrated in the traditional Japanese poetic form, the haiku. In just 17 syllables, a moment, a season, the elements are joyfully captured. This peaceful little board book has tabs to encourage little hands to turn the pages and adorable artwork to delight everyone!

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Board book: 14 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375843957
• ISBN-13: 978-0375843952
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,319 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a baby and his parents loving this book, October 7, 2008

By	M. Sakamoto (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is such a beautiful little book. My baby got "Haiku Baby" as a present when he was 5 months old. He has been loving it since then. He is now 10 months old and asks us to read this book by picking it up. We enjoy the beautiful illustrations, which name each animal and nature element, and we look for the little bluebird on each page. I highly recommend this book for all babies. It's a great baby shower present, too.

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Things Come In Small Packages!, November 8, 2009

By	Dawn De Lorenzo "Author of Peanut Butter and ... (Woodbridge, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Haiku is a Japanese poem made up of three lines: the first and last lines must have five syllables and the middle must have seven. Therefore, each word must be precise and significant. This book is a beautiful collection of Haiku poems about nature. The pictures are sweet and the poems are beautiful. I think it is important to expose little ones to good literature as early as possible. Children's books can be sophisticated as well as sweet and Haiku Baby fits the bill!

Each poem is about an element in nature: rain, flower, sun, leaf, snow, and moon. It has the Japanese character for that word and then the Haiku poem. The poems are rich with personification and onomotopoeia. The tabs entice little ones to turn the pages.

Haiku Baby is a HIT!

5.0 out of 5 stars Haiku Baby, October 31, 2009

By	Emily Iafrate - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Super sweet little book of poetry - great art, and I love the tabs. One of my gal's favorites when she started learning how to page through board books on her own.