Bob Raczka

Ages 4-10

Author Raczka and and illustrator Reynolds perfectly understand one another. While the tone of this book is tongue-in-cheek, playful, and carefree, the author/illustrator team sincerely value the power of outdoor play and boys’ involvement in the arts. The result: a gorgeous nature poetry book by guys, for guys, and of guys.

Haiku is a brilliant medium to engage and enchant, but never bore, rambunctious minds. With only three lines of 5-7-5 syllables on each page, the effervescent show more words roll off the tongue. A diverse group of boys drawn in pen and ink illuminates each poem’s subject, from skipping stones to throwing cattail wisps into the wind.

The four sections of the book are divided by season. The poems and illustrations harmonize to showcase the very best joys and wonders of each. The effect is so potent that when you come to a new section, readers and listeners will want to magically jump ahead in the calendar to start enjoying that season’s specialties.

Guyku is a gentle book that may not interest every boy; however, many boys will find this book captivating. After reading, they’ll jump off the couch to start a new adventure of their own. Highly recommended. show less

With a rhyming text from author Bob Raczka and bright, colorful artwork from illustrator Chad Cameron, this fun seasonal picture-book presents a rather mixed-up vision of fall. From orange apples and red pumpkins to hibernating geese and nut-gathering bears, there are plenty of mistakes here, both in text and illustrations, giving the young reader/listener plenty of opportunities to spot what's wrong...

An entertainingly interactive title, Fall Mixed Up would make a wonderful book to read show more with a young child who enjoys 'search and find' stories, or any other kind of book where the reader and listener get involved more directly in figuring out what is going on. The rhyming text itself reads well, and the artwork is full of the wonderful colors of fall, even when some objects are not the shade one might expect. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for more interactive autumn stories. show less

Highly imaginative and enjoyable, this book has the author interacting with the characters in the painting. Mainly interesting highlights of paintings are brought to light, many of which I never noticed. The author does an amazing job of teaching the way in which to enjoy and discern all the many ways Vermeer glues the observer to the canvas.

This collection of 24 haikus is divided into sections for each of the four seasons, starting with spring and ending with winter. As Racka points out in his author’s note, haikus are written in present tense and all of the poems in this book feature present tense activities. Reynold’s simply colored illustrations show the boys in this collection in constant motion; they fly kites, climb trees, rake leaves, and have icicle sword fights. As well as being concise and clever observations, show more many of the poems conclude with a snappy punch line.

Reynold’s multicultural cast of boys is wonderful. By turns mischievous, playful, thoughtful, and serious, the boys celebrate the joys of nature and boyhood. For each season Reynolds has chosen a single color to augment his simple color palate of browns, blacks, whites, and grays. For instance, summer uses a sunshine gold, while winter is surrounded by cool blue reminiscent of shadows on a snowy landscape. The poems are delightful as a collection, but also stand well on their own. Together the poems create a tapestry of the season, but read alone a single poem captures a moment in that seasonal time.

Full Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2012/07/book-208-guyku-year-of-haiku-for-boy... show less