If It Rains Pancakes: Haiku and Lantern Poems

by Brian P. Cleary

Overview

What is a haiku? It sounds like a sneeze. And isn't a lantern a light source? Actually, they are two types of ancient Japanese poetry. Award-winning author Brian P. Cleary explains how each form works—and shows how these little poems can contain big surprises!

If It Rains Pancakes is packed with poems to make you chuckle, puzzle, and ponder. And when you’ve finished reading, you can try your hand at writing your own haiku and lanterns!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467744126
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2014
Series:	Poetry Adventures Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	336,806
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Brian P. Cleary is the author of the Words Are CATegorical®, Math Is CATegorical®, Food Is CATegorical™, and Animal Groups Are CATegorical™ series, as well as several picture books. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

While studying for a degree in Manchester, Andy Rowland accepted his first drawing award, the MacMillan Children's Book Prize. Years later, he has more than twenty published books to his name. He lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

"Cleary introduces readers to haiku and lantern poems, defining each, providing background, explaining syllabic line requirements, and offering examples. Admitting that he takes a broad approach to haiku (traditionally they are nature poems), Cleary offers many humorous verses, including: 'My pet pig, Betty, / in her full karate stance, / performs the "pork chop."' The lantern poems range from pastoral ('Spring. / Yellows, / Blues, and greens. / Chirp, peck, peep, pop, / bloom') to more contemporary themes ('Slush— / gulping / icy treat. / Getting brain freeze. / Whoa'). Rowland's colorful cartoon illustrations capture the varying moods and often extend the text. For example, he depicts one lantern poem ('Eight: / circles / up and down. / Each must be worth / four') as a figure eight–shaped race track with four cars driving on each circle. Appended with suggested websites and books for further reading, this will be welcomed by classrooms studying poetry. Pair with Bob Raczka's Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys (2010)."—Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 2014-03-17
An engaging lantern poem and haiku how-to for young readers. Veteran children's series author Cleary (Feet and Puppies, Thieves and Guppies: What Are Irregular Plurals? with Brian Gable, 2014, etc.) and British illustrator Rowland team up to launch the new Poetry Adventures series with a picture book demonstrating the great fun to be had with wee poems. While poets typically choose the spare haiku or concrete lantern form to communicate profound reflections on nature, here Cleary turns poetic convention on its ear by conjuring silly, sometimes-hilarious situations. Whether describing a bodily function, as in "Yummy"—"When something's so good / you want to taste it again, / that's what burps are for"—or poking fun at the haiku form itself—"When you've written one / without enough syllables, / you add words. Football"—Cleary's light touch immediately grabs attention. Even the more contemplative lantern poems, so called because the five-line syllabic form's outline slightly resembles that of a Japanese lantern, are perfectly geared for the young: "Hug: / a gift / that is best / when you return / it." To further entice readers to write, Cleary provides clear descriptions of the poetics of each form alongside Rowland's vibrant, brightly hued illustrations that include a nicely ethnically diverse cast of human characters as well as zany aliens and plenty of visual wit. Wonderfully crafted and illustrated: a delightful, effective primer for budding poets. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews