Do you know what a Riddle-ku is? Learn all about them (and so much more) in this far out book of American haiku and riddles. Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons reads like a story and is all around A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! (add a few more !!! there). Laura Purdie Salas created poems that show the season it represents in a new way. We do not just see “leaves” for fall or “snow” for winter, but other creatures, ideas and feelings that we associate with them. Salas does not tell you (until the end of the book where there is an answer key) what the theme of the poem is.
This book is great for the child that likes bouncy text or great illustrations. It is a great gift for an adult (I really want to try my hand at a riddle-ku now!) and perfect for the classroom. All ages can find something to love, but it is aimed at the slightly older reader to be read too (ages 5 and up) but the first/second grader could read on their own. And afterwards wraps everything up giving you tips and more resources.
Merce Lopez’s illustrations are fantastically descriptive, details and a pleasure to view. They are unique. They tell the story and have a story of their own. They pop, but do not fall off the page (so to speak). They are cozy and yet, they make you think. You get “stirred up” looking at them. They are images that one must experience to truly explain as each will say something different to different readers and viewers.