very worthwhile ( )

This is an absolutely excellent and very thorough introduction to haiku. Despite it's subtitle, the book really doesn't talk much about writing haiku per se. Rather, the majority of the book is about the history and theory of haiku. No writing exercises. All the same, it's highly-readable and does a great job of presenting both traditional and modern approaches to haiku. The teaching sections are lesson plans targeted at elementary school age, but the book as a whole is clearly targeted at adults. The book is full of haiku examples from around the world and has excellent appendices: season words, a glossary of Japanese haiku terms, and a long list of books to refer to. ( )