BORING

This book is an amazing treasure- the mixed media illustrations, the Haiku with references to Basho and Shiki (covered in the end notes) and the journey of the little cat Wabi Sabi, trying to find the origin of his name. A book for children that will resonate deeply with adults. Lovely lovely book!

"Simple things are beautiful," she heard the monkey say as he poured more tea for her. Looking down at the tea in her bowl,
seeing herself plain
and beautiful, she whispered,
"Now I understand."

An exquisite picture book that explains the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi. Wonderful illustrations and haiku poems explore Japanese culture as the main character, a cat, tries to discover the meaning of her name.

Lovely, peaceful book. I used it in a third/fourth grade homeschool assignment that covered several areas. Of course, haiku, but also explaining how something people aspire to sometimes still disappoints. We were working on the reconstruction period after the Civil War and through the Civil Rights Era. In particular, we were grappling with the concept of freedom.
This book is simple, makes a difficult topic accessible and the artwork is fantastic (and "reproducible" for a student to complement haikus s/he has created. Highly recommended.

Beautiful artwork and an adorable story. This is a great book to read aloud to children.

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