Children's books from Asia, India and Russia
Cool melons--turn to frogs!: the life and poems of Issa; story and Haiku translations by Matthew Gollub; illustrations by Kazuko G. Stone; calligraphy by Keiko Smith. Japan, 1998.
This biography of Japanese poet Issa introduces readers to over 30 of his best-loved haikus.
First, second by Daniil Kharms; translated from the Russian by Richard Pevear. Russia, 1995.
In this counting book, a man out for a walk encounters another man, the shortest man in the world, a long man, a donkey, an elephant, and a little dog.
Maples in the mist: children's poems from the Tang Dynasty; translated by Minfong Ho; illustrated by Jean & Mou-sien Tseng. China, 1996.
A collection of short poems written over 1000 years ago by such poets of the Tang Dynasty as Li Po (also known as Li Bai), Yin Luan, and Du Mu.
Shin's tricycle by Tatsuharu Kodama; illustrations by Noriyuki Ando; translated by Kazuko Hokumen-Jones. Japan, 1995.
Fifty years after the bombing of Hiroshima, Kodama brings us the true story of Nobuo Tetsutani and his son, Shin, whose life was cut short by the atomic blast. Their story, evoked in rich color paintings, will move the heart. Shin's memory lives on through the tricycle he so cherished, now displayed in the Hiroshima Peace Museum, a testament to all those whose dreams were lost.
The festival by Peter Bonnici. India, 1984.
A young Indian boy experiences for the first time the rituals of manhood at the village festival.