When a dear friend and colleague asked me to review her new children’s book on Haiku poetry, I was honored and a bit concerned. I am not an enthusiast of poetry, or at least I wasn’t! However, I love children’s books and am a retired school social worker. I read KIDS READ AND WRITE JAPANESE HAIKU from cover to cover in one sitting and sat for quite a while pondering the simplicity of the style and the beauty of its content.
VA Rivera has a magnificent way of teaching children (and adults) to express themselves through creative writing for kids in a fun and engaging manner. The 21 pages of Haiku had me absorbed in my imagination, wondering how I could create my own poetry in this writing style. Her words were pure, soft, and vulnerable. They were happy and often silly, more than inviting and always encouraging. VA’s use of nature, a child's experience of playing, sleeping, dreaming, friendship, and the world around them is age-appropriate and perfect. It became obvious to me that VA Rivera spent decades learning about the minds and hearts of children. I had thought I would read it, review it, and pass it on to my 8-year-old grandson.
After reading VA’s book, I decided to keep this copy myself. I know I will turn to it again and again. As for my grandson, I will purchase a copy for his 4th-grade teacher's classroom library. I encourage you to do the same. Sharing the gift of a well-written and thoughtful book with an educator is one way to continue brightening the world for the next generation, and it can also inspire poetry workshops that introduce children to the joys of writing.
Thank you, VA Rivera, for sharing your gift of writing poetry with us. I am truly grateful. debra barrett