Wabi Sabi

Thanks to cat-sitting this weekend I am enjoying an absolute orgy of reading - cats bring out all my natural inclinations towards curling up with a book (preferably with a cat as a hot water bottle!). And this was the perfect book to read on such an occasion.

Barbara very, very kindly bought Mum and

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I each a copy of this spectacular book which has only just made it onto the bookshop shelves. I would be extremely surprised if it isn't a huge success. The only thing that's strange about it is that it's shelved with the children's picture books. It may be a picture book but I think it takes an adult to truly appreciate it. The artwork is breathtakingly astonishing - I spend much of my time simply wanting to touch it - it has such a look of beautiful texture about it. It is truly like entering a new universe.

The text is conceptually complex, mysterious and satisfying, combining "spare text" with haiku. Neither author nor illustrator is Japanese, but the setting and concept are Japanese, and Japanese haiku form part of the artwork. The whole work is a feast of beauty that can be read again and again and again, simply to appreciate the beauty of the poetry, the glory of the astonishing artwork and the satisfaction of the concept.

What a gift.

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This book has incredible design as it is read length wise vertically. The book is full of wonderful collage art that is very well done. The story tells of a cat named Wabi Sabi who goes out seeking the meaning behind her name. She encounters many before truly understanding. The story is told partly

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in haiku as well.

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While some might consider this book to be for younger children, I think it would be a perfect match for children ages 10-13. The pictures and use of Japanese writing are beautiful and I think that older children could really appreciate this. I also think the concept of beauty is also something very

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real to children in this older age group. The different page orientation would also make this book fun for kids who already understand the normal format of book pages. I would love to use this book as a class read aloud and as an example of the fun things an illustrator can do with a book.

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This is a vertical oriented collage book that tells the story of a cat named Wabi Sabi who is on a mission to find the true meaning of her name after her master replied that the meaning of her name was hard to explain. The pictures are amazing. This book won the Caldecott and rightfully so. The

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pictures are definately the biggest strength, however, the verticalness of the book is pretty cool too.

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Even though I'm not a fan of cats, I thought this book was a great story for children. I like how the format and setup with the book was different. It read vertically, and not horizontally. The illustrations had a very asian theme.

This is a sophisticated story of a cat searching for the meaning of her name, the Japanese concept Wabi Sabi, told through famous haiku and amazing textural collage illustration.

A wonderfully illustrated and beautifully told story of the search for beauty/identity. I loved this book but do have some concerns that the changing writing styles may make this difficult for new readers to follow.

A different kind of picture book as it has carries Japanese themes and illustrations. A cat, Wabi Sabi, wants to find out what its name is. The search takes the cat to all its friends, through the city, and to a mountain. Animal friends of the cat offer conflicting meanings of the cat's name but

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the cat finally learns how simple things are often most beautiful. The book is filled with many examples of haiku as well as Japanese writings. The pictures are also fascinating and even appear almost three-dimensional on some of the pages. I will use this book to encourage discussions about simple pleasures and the beauty we can find in simple living. It would also inspire students to find out about the origins and meanings of their own names.

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A story of a cat named Wabi Sabi and her search for the meaning of her name. This story is also full of beautiful Japanese Haikus the complement the beauty of the text.

The illustrator used the technique of collage for his illustrations. I feel this technique was selected because as the book says on the title page “Wabi Sabi…finds beauty and harmony in what is simple, imperfect, natural, modest, and mysterious”. This fits in with the books theme of a cat on

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a quest to find out the meaning of her name and in the process becomes aware of all the simple beauty around her and in her.

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Wabi Sabi is one of the most beautiful and inspiring children’s picture books I have read. It tells the story of a cat named Wabi Sabi living in Kyoto, Japan searching for the meaning of its name. Through its adventures and friends it makes along the way, it finds the true meaning for itself…

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beauty in simplicity. This book not only contains a story, poems, and beautiful illustrations, but it also shows snapshots of unique art pieces representing different characters in the story. It is inspiring on multiple levels.

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This story engages the reader with its haikus and artwork. Wabi Sabi is an ancient Chinese and Japanese philosophy about accepting the beauty in simplicity. It teaches us to remember our place in the world. This a great book for young children, older children and adults. The theme is important for

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any age and the artwork is interactive for children, while adults can also appreciate its style and technique.

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I thought that this book was a great way to introduce children to foreign cultures, ideas, and practices. It shows them another form of beauty, as well as introducing them to Haiku poetry. Young’s illustrations are really beautiful. I love how he combines collages with more traditional looking

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Japanese art and writing.

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This is an amazing book for both its illustrations and text. The illustrations, which are cut outs of different prints, textures and photographs mixed with leaves and in one picture, actual hair, appear to pop off of the page. Furthermore, each page is unique, portraying a different aspect of Wabi

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Sabi.
The text is wonderful as well. After reading, I discovered that the author based the story of Wabi Sabi on an actual cat that he met in Kyoto, Japan named Wabi Sabi.
Could be used in the classroom for the study of many topics including art, culture, Japan, folklore and the list goes on. I mention art because I think an educator might gain ideas for classroom art projects from the book.
Would be great for tying different subjects together.

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Wabi-Sabi the cat sets out on an adventure to find out the true meaning of her name. No one lends any explanation except by saying, "That's hard to explain..." Finally Wabi Sabi goes to see Kosho the monkey, on Mount Hiei. Kosho doesn't just tell Wabi Sabi the meaning of her name, but makes her

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understand it by listening, watching & feeling. Reading the haikus and seeing the artwork might help the reader to understand it too.
WONDERFUL!

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This is a very reflective book about starting from where you are, as well as knowing yourself in the moment. It’s also about not knowing and how that’s okay. All of this Eastern wisdom is something valuable we can learn from. We learn about meditation and relaxing, as well. This quote 'How

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many, many things They bring to mind—Cherry blossoms!,' implies the limitless quality of life and wonderment. I really loved the origami-like quality of the art on the pages, as they popped off of the page. The art reminded me of a Japanese scroll.

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This was a story about realizing beauty in simplicity. The illustrations of this book were striking and unique. The design of the book was also unique in that it opened up in a way that you were reading the pages from top to bottom instead of left to right. This went well with the Japanese content.

Reibstein, M. (2008). Wabi Sabi. New York: Little Brown.

In this picture book, a cat named Wabi Sabi goes on a quest to learn the meaning of her name. After overhearing her master say that it is hard to explain the meaning of her name, the cat feels the need to find it out on her own. She goes on a

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journey from her house in Kyoto, to the mountains, and the city. Along the way she talks to many animals including monkeys, dogs, and birds. Eventually she finds the meaning of her name. It is a Japanese concept meaning "beauty and harmony in what is simple, imperfect, natural, modest and mysterious." This book is compelling to readers from different times and places. The meaning of Wabi Sabi is timeless Japanese concept that can be applied to everyday life. This book is a winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for literature.

This book would be an excellent addition to an elementary school library. Throughout the book, the author uses Japanese poems called haikus. This book could be used in relation to a poetry unit in a classroom.

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The picture book winner of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (APAAL) for 2009, Wabi Sabi is an enchanting fictional story of a cat who searches for the meaning of his name. Written by Mark Reibstein and illustrated by Ed Young, the team

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takes the reader on a journey from the home, into the streets and wilderness of Japan to gain the full understanding of Wabi Sabi, which is a feeling or way of viewing the world that requires an experience rather than a definition. This exploration into Japanese culture leaves an inspiring feeling for the audience, to see the goodness in what they have and not take the little things for granted. By including traditional Japanese haikus and their explanations in English the author provides a look into Japanese culture while creating an interactive learning experience.
Wabi Sabi is a good book for librarians to read for story time since the illustrations can be used to familiarize the audience with Japanese terrain while assisting in the interpretation of the experience of Wabi Sabi as a way of seeing the world. Additionally librarians and teachers alike could make use of the haikus for educational purposes while challenging children to create their own sayings.

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Wabi Sabi is a beautifully told and illustrated story of a Japanese cat searching for the meaning of her name. The concept of wabi sabi, as defined in the introduction to the book, involves finding beauty in simple, natural, imperfect things. Wabi Sabi the cat sets out on an adventure through the

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city and the woods, asking many animal friends along the way if they can explain her name to her. The creatures she meets use haiku to communicate the concept to her. The book includes an introduction defining wabi sabi, a short history lesson regarding the term, and a short paragraph explaining the art of haiku. It would be wonderful for libraries to have on hand, as it is very simply written. Young children can get a brief introduction to Japanese culture and poetry through this charming tale featuring cats, dogs, and monkeys among other creatures. An activity where slightly older children try their hand at haiku would be quite fun for a storytime program.

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This is a beautiful book. The bare story is that of a cat in Japan who sets out to find the meaning of his name, Wabi Sabi. We are brought into the beuatiful world of Japanese aethetics, where you have to sit with art to probe into its meaning or significance. The art work by Ed Young, composed of

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painterly looking collages, is striking. The story by Mark Reibstein is charming, and although intended for a juvenile audience can be absorbed equally by adults.

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A little cat from Kyoto, Japan, named Wabi Sabi hadn't put much thought into the meaning of her name until friends from a foreign land asked her owner what it meant. Her master's only reply was, "That's hard to explain." Displeased by her answer, Wabi Sabi goes on a journey to uncover the meaning

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of her name. Each animal she meets along the way gives her the same answer, "That's hard to explain" until she she finds a wise old monkey. Through haiku he shows her what her name means: a Japanese philosophy of seeing beauty in simplicity and the ordinary. An intriguing story, creative illustrations, and beautiful haikus make this enjoyable for the reader and the listener. A great introduction to Japanese culture.

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Reibstein, Mark. Wabi Sabi. (2008). New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Wabi Sabi, a Japanese cat, wonders what the meaning of her name is. Her master, along with various animals in the house whom she asks, tell her it’s hard to explain, so they try to describe it in haiku, which describe

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feelings and nature. She doesn’t understand until she travels to the woods to ask Kosho, a wise old monkey. He, too, explains using haiku, and she finally understands that her name means, “Simple things are beautiful.”

This is a lovely book that young and middle elementary students will enjoy. The dark and muted colors of the illustrations convey a soft, gentle mood. The illustrations are fairly realistic and paper-cut materials add dimension. The illustrations work together with the text and haiku to express the book’s theme, the Japanese concept of beauty in the ordinary and simple.

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I enjoyed looking at the detailed backgrounds. The cat shape seemed very simple, but the pictures almost seemed 3D with depth and texture.