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lavendermarch's review against another edition
5.0
This was so lovely! I read it for my Japanese poetry class, and it was my favorite work so far. Misuzu Kaneko had such a gift for writing children's poetry, and it was so poignant and wonderful to read. I also appreciated the Japanese side-by-side with the English translations in the second half of the book, as someone who is learning Japanese. The art was gorgeous in this, absolutely beautiful and wonderfully connected to the poetry. As well, Misuzu's biography was so sad, but I'm very glad the editors chose to include it in the book. I would absolutely recommend this, and I'm incredibly happy I read it. 5 stars.
thebookishlibrarian's review against another edition
Misuzu Kaneko was a children’s poet in the early 1900s whose work was quickly forgotten after her premature death. Now, years later, it is rediscovered in the wake of the devastating tsunami of 2011. Jacobson brings her poems back to life in this book after connecting with Kaneko’s brother, and they are presented in Japanese and English.
erine's review against another edition
5.0
This beautiful book combines parts of the life story of Misuzu Kaneko with excerpts of her poetry, and touches on her significance to Japan during the earthquake and tsunami of 2011. We've been watching a fair amount of Studio Ghibli at our house lately and both the illustrations and the poems echo some of the vibe that I get from watching those movies. There's so much simple wonder contained in this book, particularly in the title poem. As the author sums it up: everyone can respond.
My favorite poem was Stars and Dandelions, which really demonstrated the amazing way the illustrations combined with the poems to make something truly touching.
My favorite poem was Stars and Dandelions, which really demonstrated the amazing way the illustrations combined with the poems to make something truly touching.
bookishrealm's review against another edition
4.0
Oh wow! So I picked this one out for #diverseathon and I must say it was quite amazing and such a sad tale. And the artwork! Oh boy it was BEAUTIFUL! If you've never heard of Misuzu Kaneko before you definitely need to check her out. The only thing that I could possibly say about this book is that you have to discover the beauty of it on your own! : )
kirstenrose22's review against another edition
5.0
This lovely book is a combination picture book biography and poetry collection. I love that the original Japanese text is on the facing page of the English translations of the poems. And the illustrations are perfect - moody, evocative of the time and place, and still gorgeous. The story itself of her life is completely tragic (what a shame that she was so constrained by the times and society she lived in!), but perfectly expressed at an appropriate level for children.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful poems, and such a sad story. This is a lovely book.
chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition
4.0
I was excited to find a book geared towards children that has short poems with both the original Japanese and the English translations included in the back. I initially sat down with this book so that I could practice reading Japanese and learn some new kanji and vocabulary along the way. But I quickly grew captivated by the story of Misuzu Kaneko and how it relates to modern events. It's fascinating to hear about poets whose literature was almost lost to time, and it's inspiring to hear about the journey that it took to collect and recover so many of her poems.
Speaking of which, I love the style and voice that Misuzu Kaneko uses in her poems. They are short yet poignant, and I like the cadence she captures in the original Japanese. I wish that the poems woven into the narrative at the beginning of the book also had the original Japanese included (esspecially "Are You an Echo?"), because I would love to see what they're like untranslated. It must be difficult to translate a poem's tone, and I wonder what makes a translator decide to remove an instance of repetition or to condense a sentence so that it reads more simply for a foreign audience. I plan to look more into this poet's work in the future!
Speaking of which, I love the style and voice that Misuzu Kaneko uses in her poems. They are short yet poignant, and I like the cadence she captures in the original Japanese. I wish that the poems woven into the narrative at the beginning of the book also had the original Japanese included (esspecially "Are You an Echo?"), because I would love to see what they're like untranslated. It must be difficult to translate a poem's tone, and I wonder what makes a translator decide to remove an instance of repetition or to condense a sentence so that it reads more simply for a foreign audience. I plan to look more into this poet's work in the future!
rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
4.0
Really, there isn’t much information about Misuzu Kaneko out there. I had never heard of her, but I enjoyed learning about her poems and was saddened by her story. The illustrations were perfect, and I loved how poems were integrated into the story. Finally, I appreciated seeing the selection of poems both illustrated and written in two languages.
molly_dettmann's review against another edition
4.0
Misuzu's story is so sad, but also fascinating. The illustrations, and especially the use of color, convey this story so beautifully. The first half of the book tells her life story and the second half features some of her works. Her poetry ranges from simple, sweet, and child-like, to haunting and bittersweet. The poem section features the English translation and the original Japanese characters and was my favorite part.
gaykittens's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully illustrated, it leaves you wanting more of Misuzu Kaneko's works translated into English.