Find Beauty in the Everyday

Kiyoshi's Walk
Written by Mark Karlins & Illustrated by Nicole Wong
Age Level: 5-8 Years
Published March 9, 2021

I’m trying to live in the moment.

Whenever I read a brilliant novel, hear a moving poem, or view a gorgeous painting, I always think to myself, “How did they do that?”

Kiyoshi is similarly in awe of his grandfather, the great poet Eto, a master of haiku. One day, Kiyoshi asks his grandfather where poems come from, and by way of response his grandfather takes him on a walk through their diverse and vibrant urban neighborhood. Together, they open their eyes and hearts to their surroundings and find inspiration in everyday sights, sounds, and smells. By the end of the day, Kiyoshi understands that poetry is what emerges when the world outside meets what you feel inside.

“Kiyoshi thought for a few seconds. ‘They come from here,’ he said, and opened his arms wide to take in the river and the sky and the distant buildings. ‘And they come from here,’ he said, and pointed to his own heart.”

One of my favorite parts of this book is actually the Author’s Note at the end, which provides a super interesting explanation of the Japanese tradition of haiku. I learned that while haiku in English rely heavily on a rule of syllables (five in the first line, seven in the second, five in the third), in Japanese it isn't syllables that matter but sounds. I also learned that there is a gamelike form of haiku called renga in which two or more people write linked poems. I had already thoroughly enjoyed the preceding story, and this fun information was the icing on the cake.