A Pond a Poet and Three Pests

<p><strong>A funny new fable about artistic creation and chasing fame, imagined by award-winning author Caroline Adderson, and inspired by one of Japan’s most famous haikus, “The Old Pond.”</strong></p><p>Bashō, a 17th-century poet on an evening walk, stops to rest next to a murky old pond. Here, readers may expect he will encounter the frog that inspired his renowned poem:</p><p><br></p><p>Old pond—</p><p>Frog jumps in</p><p>Splash!</p><p><br></p><p>But before the frog came the mosquito, who smells blood: “My life?” she whines, “It could fill a book of poetry!” And before the mosquito came the lily, who perfumes the air, hoping to be immortalized in a poem. And before the lily came the carp, who flutters her tail in the poet’s face.</p><p>In a twist that would have delighted Bashō, a Zen Buddhist, the fame-seeking creatures cause only their own suffering. Instead, the inspiration for Bashō’s poem comes from a frog that only wants a morning swim. Splash!</p><p>Illustrator Lauren Tamaki, winner of the Sibert Medal, paints a memorable cast of characters with great wit and empathy. Her swirling inks bridge the story’s traditional setting and its lightly modern lesson about fame, inspiration, and art.</p><p>Includes end matter with information about Bashō and haiku.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Text Features</strong></p><p>biographical information</p><p>biographical note</p><p>dialogue</p><p>further information</p><p>historical context</p><p>historical note</p><p>illustrations</p><p>informational note</p><p>literary references</p><p>poems</p><p> </p><p><strong>Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:</strong></p><p>CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2</p><p>Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.</p><p>CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4</p><p>Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.</p><p>CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7</p><p>Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.</p>