Poetic Form: "THE CUCKOO’S HAIKU"

Citation:

Rosen, M. (2009). The cuckoo's haiku: and other birding poems. Somerville, Mass: Candlewick. Illustrated by Stan Fellows. ISBN: 9780763630492

Review:

Rosen presents wonderful haiku and other poems for more than twenty American birds. The book's layout is easy to follow and is written in three seasons (spring, summer and autumn). The illustrations are beautifully done in water color and bring a burst of color to the accompanying haiku. Readers will enjoy the vibrant colors on each of the bird's pages. Rosen adds insightful information in cursive about the pictured bird which also includes the bird's song. Each bird's song is written so that the reader will understand the rhythm and repetition of the song, which is an added benefit for the reader. The text ends with a directory of each bird that was pictured and facts about their heritage, life, eating habits, etc. This is a great book and will be a prized entry into any library's collection!


Excerpt:

"European Starling"

masking the daylight
one wheeling black star explodes
thousands of starlings


Introducing the Poem:

This is a nice poem to use to introduce children to how animal migration can be written in a poetic form. I would encourage children to write in their journals about certain animals they only see during specific seasons and then use this information and write a poem.