"Each haiku poem evokes a moment of 'Ah!'--a sensation of seeing something for the first time." George Shannon's helpful introduction gives readers a meaningful entry into the world of haiku poetry and the 14 specific poems that comprise this book. Arranged by Shannon to suggest an early spring walk, the poems, appearing in translation, represent the work of some of the most outstanding Japanese haiku writers stretchng back for several centuries. Malcah Zeldis's vibrant gouache paintings are visual celebrations of revealing moments and quiet observations captured by the poems as the season unfolds. (Ages 8-11)