Guyku A Year of Haiku for Boys

On our latest library trip I picked up a copy of Guyku A Year of Haiku for Boys written by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds.  We have a lot of "fancy" books at our house and this looked like a fun celebration of being a boy.  It did not disappoint.

The book is a series of haiku poems for each season of the year.  Bob Raczka writes at the end of the book why he wrote this book about haiku for guys: "Because a haiku is an observation of nature, and nature is a place where guys love to be."  One of my favorite haikus comes in the spring section -

If this puddle could

talk, I think it would tell me

to splash my sister.  

I love that haiku - my brothers would have loved to do that and I can see my son hopping on that puddle as well.  This is a very fun way to enjoy poetry with your boys.  I think haikus are very unassuming.  I read this book to my 4-year-old son and after I finished it he asked me to immediately read it again. And we did.  He really enjoyed it.  However, my husband saw the book on the table and picked it up and he LOVED it.  The haikus are very reminiscent of a type of boy childhood that my husband definitely experienced.  So while it is fun for the younger audience I think it might be even more enjoyable for older boys (or men) to laugh at the ways they enjoy(ed) nature. 

If You See a Fairy Ring

One of my favorite fairy books is If You See A Fairy Ring illustrated by Susanna Lockheart.  This is a fun collection of fairy poems by authors from Shakepeare to Laura Ingalls Wilder.  The illustrations are wonderfully detailed, beautiful watercolor paintings.  Some of the pages open up and the little paper slats move to show a new image.  

I think this is a great introduction to poetry for younger children.  The poems are fun, light hearted and short and accompanied by engaging illustrations.  My favorite poem in the collection is one by Shakespeare:

If you see a fairy ring

Near a field of grass,

Very lightly step around,

Tiptoe as you pass;

Last night fairies frolicked there,

And they're sleeping somewhere near.

If you see a tiny fae

Lying fast asleep,

Shut your eyes and run away,

Do not stay or peep;

And be sure you never tell,

Or you'll break a fairy spell. 

In Wilmington, Delaware they have a beautiful estate and gardens called Winterthur. In the gardens there is a small portion that is an enchanted woods created by fairies.  They have created a fairy ring there - a circle of large mushrooms - and have this poem printed nearby.  It is a fairy lovers dream.  It is a must see in Delaware, just as this book is a must-have for all fairy lovers.