2017 NCTE Notable Poetry Book

Freeman Book Awards, honorable mention

Washington State Book Awards, finalist

Booklist Editors' Choice, Books for Youth 2016

Booklist Top 10 Biographies for Youth and Top 10 Translated Books for Youth: 2017

Favorite Diverse Children's Books of 2016, Smithsonian Book Dragon

In early-1900s Japan, Misuzu Kaneko grows from precocious bookworm to instantly-beloved children’s poet. But her life ends prematurely, and Misuzu’s work is forgotten. Decades later her poems are rediscovered—just in time to touch a new generation devastated by the tsunami of 2011. This picture book features Misuzu’s life story plus a trove of her poetry in English and the original Japanese.

Big Catch:

At sunrise, glorious sunrise
it’s a big catch!
A big catch of sardines!

On the beach, it’s like a festival
but in the sea, they will hold funerals
for the tens of thousands dead.