cover image I Haiku You

I Haiku You

Betsy Snyder. Random, $12.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-375-86750-7

Valentine’s Day isn’t the only chance to share special feelings with loved ones. Snyder’s diminutive book of haiku shows children with round faces and blue hair sharing moments of quiet togetherness all year round, against soft watercolor backgrounds. In a springtime scene, a boy in a sailor cap and a girl with a red beret fly a butterfly kite with heart-shaped wings (“love is in the air—/ every time our hearts meet up,/ i get butterflies”); another pair of children roast marshmallows around a fire later in the year (“toasty together—/ happy-camper sandwiches,/ ooey-gooey s’mores”). As though contained within a snow globe, each intimate scene is a distilled moment of joy. Ages 4–up. Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Dec.)