A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests
by Caroline Adderson; illus. by Lauren Tamaki
Primary    Groundwood    32 pp.
10/25    9781773068930    $19.99

This multilayered picture book offers a whimsical interpretation of the famous haiku “Old Pond” by the master poet Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) and celebrates nature and poetry with thoughtfulness and irony. After a walk, Bashō stops beside a pond to rest and think. Knowing that he is “the most famous poet in the land,” three characters—a golden carp, a blooming lily, and a pesky mosquito—vie for his attention and poetic immortality. But none can disturb his reverie until a frog, ignoring them all, dives in for its carefree midnight swim. It is this act that startles and inspires the poet to compose his classic haiku: “Old pond— / Frog jumps in. / Splash!” Adderson’s spare telling offers layers of meaning and fun. The anthropomorphic characters have lines of dialogue or thoughts well suited for reading aloud (“‘O, Bashō,’ the carp called, ‘Look at me!’”), and each exemplifies a sensory mode: sight, smell, or sound, all helpful for modeling exploration of nature and writing poetry. Illustrations in acrylic ink recall the style of ancient Japanese ink painting, with each one awash in shades of green-to-yellow, or blue-to-purple, or both, and with perspectives from above, below, close up, and at a distance, providing movement and subtle humor. An endnote includes the poem in the original Japanese with a literal translation, as well as advice for writing nature poems.

From the November/December 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.