Gorgeous Book:

VTG LITTLE PICTURES OF JAPAN 1954 The Book House For Children (Lovely Illustrations And Poems Of Japan) Used. Condition Is “ Very Good”. Actually For Age Book On Fantastic Condition. Pages May Have Ever So Slightly Start To Turn Yellow But Barely Noticeable.

A Lot Of Gorgeous Japanese Illustrations And Accompanying Poems. Some Stories Also.

Simply Delightful!!!!

Shipped Via USPS Media Mail. 778

"Friends of Moon and Winds-so were the Japanese poets called who wrote the tiny poems that comprise the greater part of this book. Dewdrops of smallest compass are they, yet mirroring in vivid flashes the whole of Japanese life. In few words of primitive, childlike simplicity these old sages sang, for the little hokku poems are gems of only three lines comprising no more than seventeen syllables, the tiniest poems in the world. These minute gems, however, usher one into that atmosphere of tender sympathy with all that has life, that world of benign serenity where dwelt the ancient poets of Japan. Cricket, butterfly, bee, and frog, stars, flowers, winds-these were the things of which they sang. What could be more simple or within the understanding of the smallest child? Yet here is real poetry, and not mere doggerel, the finest poetry of Japan."

Classic Japanese poetry is characterized by the short verse form that often refers to nature. It is generally soft in tone and will teach you a great deal about the culture. This book is a collection of short segments of verse where each is accompanied by a color illustration. The images depict scenes of Japanese people of all ages.

Some of the segments of prose were originally published over a thousand years ago. For example, on page 35 there is the text where the title is “Hours Well Spent.”

“Months and days I’ve wasted

Doing some useless thing -

How few the hours that have been well spent,

Viewing the flowers in spring!”

Fuijiwara no Okikaze (about 910 A.D.)

The images have been drawn in traditional Japanese style and are very expressive. While this book is an easy read, understanding it takes some deep and lengthy thought.