Poetry Friday: H IS FOR HAIKU Book Talk

Thanks to Linda B. at TeacherDance who is hosting Poetry Friday today. It’s going to be great.

This week, I’m starting a new chapter on this blog. The last few years, the blog has focused more on student work and less on book reviews/talks/ recommendations. Over the last month, I’ve been mulling over what to do with this blog. Certainly, when the opportunity presents itself to showcase student work, I will.

So I’ve decided to feature poetry books on this blog for Poetry Friday.

I am please to share with you H IS FOR HAIKU A TREASURY OF HAIKU FROM A TO Z by Sydell Rosenberg today. Rosenberg was a chartered member of the Haiku Society of America (HSA). She was a public school teacher and used her experiences as a springboard for haiku.

In Amy Losak’s introduction of her mom’s book, she speaks of the small moments that haiku makes big. This is what I love. It’s the very reason I write haiku and teach students about the form. In a society where the small moments can be missed, slowing down for discovery is so necessary.

H IS FOR HAIKU begins with Rosenberg’s definition. My favorite part of her explanation? “Haiku can’t be gimmicked; it can’t be shammed. If it is slicked into cuteness, haiku losses what it has to give.”

Here are a few examples as page spreads.

adventures over
the cat sits in the fur ring
of his tail and dreams

first library card
and a promise to read all
authors A to Z

queuing for ice cream
sweat-sprinkled office workers
on Queens Boulevard

Whether you are a first grader practicing a recorder or Xavier at the beauty parlor or seeing children with umbrellas as mushrooms, each haiku is a fresh small moment that still resonates today. It’s difficult to believe that the original haiku were written long before the publishing of the book. Rosenberg’s word choice is impeccable and rich.

Sawsan Chalabi’s illustrations are a bright complement to the text. Did you know she was responsible for the lettering of the haiku? To me it adds to the structure of the book. I’m not sure the book would work as well had the lettering been a standard font and size.

I would recommend getting this book if you need a mentor text in haiku. Losak addresses the English interpretation of haiku as being the 5-7-5 structure while explaining that many writers (including her mom) aren’t so strict about the syllable count. I think this is important when teaching young writers. I’ve been told that rules were created to be broken and the hard fast syllable structure should be broken when appropriate.

H is FOR HAIKU is nominated for the CYBILS Award in Poetry.

Title: H IS FOR HAIKU
Author: Sydell Rosenburg
Illustrator: Sawsan Chalabi
Published: 2018
Pages: unpaged
Reading Level: 3rd grade and up
Publisher: Penny Candy Books
ISBN: 978-0-9987999-7-1
Source: Personal purchase

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Student Poetry Month 16/30

Here are some haiku.  Some student chose to focus on the research from their biome. Others went freestyle.  Most students played with moving away from the traditional 5-7-5 form.

Poetry Friday: PostcardXchange

Thank you, Keri at Keri Recommends, for hosting Poetry Friday today.

Someone recently told me that they think January is an awfully bleak month.  The decorations and lights of November and December  holidays are packed away and the bitter cold of winter has settled around us.  I might have to suggest to this person that they participate in the #postcardXchange for 2018.

Here is what I have received thus far.  They certainly have brightened my snow filled days. Mine are addressed about will be mailed once I am more thawed out.  Hopefully, tomorrow as we have a seventh snow day for school.

Left:  Diane Mayr’s.  I am always intrigued by her collages and would love to know more about her process. And her postcard follows the Japanese New Year tradition of Nengajo.

Right Top: Joy Acey.  I would love to go swimming in the warm waters of Hawaii right now.

Right Bottom:  There wasn’t a name on this one and the envelope vanished.  Thank you, Tabatha.  I love the red of holly berries.

postcards now
welcomed winter break
from the snow

Happy Friday.

Happy Poetry.

Poetry Friday: New Year Poetry Postcard Exchange

Can you believe it’s December?    So welcome. I am glad you are here.  Poetry is so needed these days. I have been in a slump!  It made me wonder about a fun project I have done with others in the past:  sending out New Year Poems on postcards.

This is one I sent last year.  And while I created my own photo postcard, it can be as simple as sending a postcard with a poem written, scribbled, etc on the back.  Would it be fun to start 2017 with a poem.  After 2016, I am in need of poetic words.

These are from a previous year in what I received.  This group was haiku based around the Japanese New Year. As you can see, it was the year of the goat.  This year if you are inclined for a prompt, it’s the year of the rooster.

Here’s the Google Form to sign up if interested.  There are choices like sending five postcards or ten, sending in the states or internationally, your choice.  I really hope that you will consider signing up for this exchange.

I am looking forward to ringing in the New Year with you via poetry post cards.

Thank you Bridget, for hosting Poetry Friday this week.

 

Poetry Friday: Saturday Edition

The final Poetry Friday for the year is hosted by Holly who’s celebrating a milestone birthday.

I’m late but I am getting the last poem for 2015 posted.  This is my postcard for the Nengajo Post Card Exchange. It’s an opportunity to share haiku for the new year with others around the world.  Similar to the Poetry Swap.

First draft but then I decided that “resolutions” worked better than “wishes.”

And here’s to Carol Varsalona who creates amazing poetry galleries to honor the seasons. Thank you for the opportunity to share my work here.

Happy Saturday.

Happy Poetry.

Poetry Friday: Haiku Books

Thank you Paul for accepting this late entry.
I am so happy to be here this Friday and share three haiku books of note. These are three nominations of the almost forty for the CYBILS poetry award.
HI, KOO! A YEAR of SEASONS Written and illustrated by Jon Muth. Published by Scholastic. What can I say about Jon Muth that hasn’t been said? He takes readers through the year with haiku that doesn’t follow the standard 5-7-5 syllable, three line form. And without overplaying the alphabet theme, this book goes through the alphabet. “Koo” is our panda guide throughout the book. I really liked the author’s note at the book’s beginning.
Book source: from the public library.

NINJA MOUSE written and illustrated by J.C.Thomas. Published by
SuperUltraGo! Press. This is a book that I feel middle graders will return too again and again. There’s something mysterious about the presentation. A mouse ninja? It’s it’s illustrations are rendered in such a way that I have read and re-read it several times. There’s a quietness to the story. At the end, the author explains more in depth about writing haiku Japanese versus American. I appreciated that but wished he would have abandoned the 5-7-5 form.Book source: a review copy was sent by the publisher.

SANTA CLAUSES by Bob Rackza. Published by Carolrhoda Books.
graders. They loved it. I think the illustrations and text are a perfect match. The students and I loved the little secret nods to other literature such as The Christmas Carol and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. And the students loved the aurora haiku. Yes, it uses the 5-7-5 form but it read aloud with ease.
Book source: from the public library.

Happy Friday.
Happy Poetry.

Poetry Friday: Autumn

Poetry Friday is hosted at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. She always has something yummy at her site.

Variations on a Theme

fallen maple leaf
the silence of morning
on the river bank

solitary leaf
swirls and twirls downward
maple beats rock

© 2014 Jone Rush MacCulloch all rights reserved

And don’t forget to nominate your favorite books for the CYBILS. Nominations are open until October 15.

Happy Friday.
Happy Poetry.

Poetry Friday: Haiku and Talking Recklessly About Poetry

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Elizabeth Steinglass.

Throughout the year there is a monthly peer reviewed contest for haiku enthusiasts. It’s a great way to engage with other haiku writers. Last month the Kigo word (season word) was “slow day.”
I entered this:
dogwood blossoms
unfold
one by one

© 2014 Jone Rush MacCulloch all rights reserved

The Free form was “allusion.” Here’s my entry:
the sound of crickets
in the bee-loud glade
he plants nine bean-rows

(Thinking of Yeats…Innisfree]
© 2014 Jone Rush MacCulloch all rights reserved

This month I am working on haiku for “mosquito” (Kigo) and “midnight” (free form).

I am looking for interested people to “talk recklessly” ( as William Stafford would say) about poetry for a monthly interview for Poetry Friday. Here are a couple of examples; Helen Frost, Diane Mayr, Amy VanDerwater.
Please email me at macrush53-at-yahoo-dot-com. I would like to post every second Friday.

Happy Friday.
Happy Poetry.

Thirty Days of Student Poetry, Day 27: More Haiku and Art

Today more from the second grade class room:

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

It’s Saturday.  Time to write about the good things in life and share at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE

Getting back to school. My snow wish came true, we had two snow days this week. Our Tuesday two-hour late became another day because our parking lot was treacherous (we don’t have to make it up as we were one of three schools in the same predicament).  It was a pleasure returning to school even if only for two days as Friday was part of the Presidents’ Day weekend. February is a wacky month with Presidents’ Day weekend and conference.  Throw in snow days, you wonder if you’ll ever get any teaching finished.

TWO

Co-workers who step in to help you out.  My partner with the  PRE-K story hour read the books for me this week due to an asthma flare-up  and loss of voice. Truly a gift for me to not have to read.

THREE

   

The beginning of a three-day author visit with Susan Blackaby.  Her latest book, BROWNIE GROUNDHOG AND THE WINTRY SURPRISE is the best.  Susan will be working with students on where ideas come from and how to elaborate and find the just right word during her time with us.

FOUR

  

I was invited to talk with students at another elementary school about my little haiku book,

SOLACE IN NATURE.  Plus some of the bought my book!

FIVE

My online conversation with Diane Mayr about haiku and the haiga she shared for Poetry Friday.

FIVE.FIVE

How could i miss this?  CYBILS Winners announced and the fabulous Forest Had a Song: Poems by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater was selected for poetry.

What are you celebrating?