Book Giveaway #2--Kala Ramesh's Haiku

Several months ago, I had a wonderful book to give away, and I'm thrilled to announce that I've been able  to acquire another copy, so listen up haiku enthusiasts–you've got another chance to add this one to your library!

This delightful and unique haiku book for children was written by the very talented haiku poet, Kala Ramesh, and comes straight from India (with a slight detour through London.) :) As far as I know, this book is not available anywhere in North America.

It is simply called Haiku and is published by Katha Books. It is small in size, but don't let that fool you–this book will captivate you with its whimsy and magic. 

For those of you who missed the first giveaway, here are the book details from the back cover:

In this lovely compilation, complete with foldout illustrations, Kala Ramesh presents highly evocative and wildly creative Haiku poems that will light up your child's imagination with joy and wonder. With fragments of colourful world nature, animals and magic that is distinctly Indian, the book is sure to conjure immersive mindscapes that no reader will soon forget.

It also comes with a companion activity book titled My Haiku Moments.

Author bio:
Kala Ramesh comes from an artistic South Indian family and believes, as her father is fond of saying, "The soil needs to be fertile for the plant to bloom." Kala feels she owes this poetic streak in her to her mother. She has had extensive training in Hindustani classical music. Indian music has taught her to think within and without the box. A Haiku poet since 2005, Kala is keen to see children in India take to Haiku and its genres, and conducts workshops in the art of Haiku writing in schools.

Illustrator bio:
Surabhi Singh is a lively young illustrator and designer from Bijnor, with her ideas curled up inside her curly hair. She revels in caricaturing her family and friends. Haiku is her first ever attempt at illustrating for children.

And to whet your appetites a bit more, here are two of the haiku you will find in this small gem of a book:

 

 

To enter for a chance to win a copy simply leave a comment on this post no later than Monday, May 21st, 2012. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Tuesday, May 22nd, so be sure to check back in then! ••Please note that comments need to be moderated so will not appear right away. 

Sharing Haiku

beach wedding

a gull raises its wings

to the wind

~Paper Wasp, summer 2012

Sharing Haiku

morning yoga

a butterfly’s wings

lit with sun

~Paper Wasp, summer 2012

Sharing Haiku

I am very pleased to share my first publication in Acorn! Yay!

the words

on the tip of my tongue

dandelion seeds

~Acorn, April 2012 

Sharing Haiku

autumn rain
the muted tones 
of a blue jay

~A Hundred Gourds, March 2012

The Use of Kigo or Season Words

I've never been one to purposely use kigo (season words) when I write haiku. Since there is such a wide range of seasonal differences around the world,  it's never been something I've taken a specific interest in.

At first I understood "kigo" to simply be a term that indicates any nature word, like snow, ice, falling leaves, etc., but recently I've realized that it's probably more accurate to say that "kigo" are specific words that indicate the season.

Both sound similar, but there is a slight difference.

A kigo doesn't have to be a "nature" word either. There are many kigo words in the "Humanity" category, for example the word "plow" as a Japanese kigo word indicates "spring", and more specifically "all spring." Some words can mean "early to mid-spring," such as "Doll Festival" (called hina matsuri) or even "late spring."

There are even kigo words dedicated to the Japanese New Year such as first market, spring kimono, and pine decorations, just to name a few.

Anyhow, there is much more to Japanese kigo words that one might first assume (and a lot more than I have a firm grasp on, I'm sure) and you can find an extensive list here: The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words  as well as basic information on kigo and its use.

Whether you use kigo or not (Japanese or other), the lists themselves could be used as great prompts. Either way, a very interesting resource.

Sharing Haiku

endless sky…
we follow the twinkle
of fireflies

~A Hundred Gourds, March 2012