Are You an Echo?: The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko

by Misuzu Kaneko, Setsuo Yazaki (Foreword by), Toshikado Hajiri (Illustrator)

Overview

Beloved Japanese children’s poet Misuzu Kaneko wonders: What does snow feel in a drift? Where does day end and night begin? From her seaside home Kaneko writes, but as her fame grows, her family life becomes increasingly strained. In this double-sided, color-illustrated children’s book, new English translations of her poetry appear next to Japanese originals, interwoven with her life story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781634059633
Publisher:	Chin Music Press Inc.
Publication date:	11/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	914,947
File size:	93 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

David Jacobson has a BA in East Asian Studies from Yale University and an MBA from NYU. In 1984-5 he attended the Inter-University Center for the Study of the Japanese Language (the "Stanford Center"). From 1987-9 he received a Mombusho scholarship to study at Hitotsubashi University. His news articles and TV scripts have been published widely in print, online, and broadcast media in the US and Japan, appearing in the Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, The Japan Times, and on NHK and CNN. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

Sally Ito holds a BFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and an MA in English from the University of Alberta. She received a Mombusho scholarship to study at Waseda University, where she worked on literary translations of modern and contemporary Japanese poetry. She has taught writing at several universities and has reviewed children's books for the Paper Tigers blog. She is the author of several volumes of poetry, including Alert to Glory, and her 1998 story collection Floating Shore won the Writers Guild of AB Book Award. She lives in Calgary, Canada.

Teru Kaneko was born in 1903 in Senzaki, Japan. She rose to fame as a celebrated author of children’s poems under her pen name Misuzu. After her death, her poems fell into obscurity for decades, until the 1970s when Setsuo Yazaki discovered and published her full body of work in Japanese. This is the first English-language biography and collection of her poetry to be distributed in English.

Editorial Reviews

07/04/2016
The work of Japanese children’s poet Misuzu (1903–1930) was nearly forgotten until a contemporary writer unearthed her poems; one of them, “Are You an Echo?,” brought renewed attention to the poet when it was broadcast after the 2011 tsunami. Ito and Tsuboi render Misuzu’s plainspoken poems into graceful English (“The fish in the sea—/ no one looks after them;/ they do no harm./ And yet, here I am about to eat one”) and Jacobson provides the tragic biography of an artist whose life blazed and ended early. Misuzu finished high school in an age when most women had little formal schooling and started writing soon after. Children’s magazines clamored to publish her work, but she suffered in a dreadful marriage and committed suicide at 27, leaving her young daughter in the care of her mother. Hajiri’s warmhearted illustrations of turn-of-the-century Japanese life recall the work of Allan Say; they dwell on the closeness between Misuzu, her mother, and her daughter. The poems, several printed in both English and Japanese, are aimed at very young readers, but the biography is not; guidance from teachers or parents will likely be needed. Ages 9–14. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

This lovingly wrought text brilliantly honors Kaneko’s work and gives readers a welcome opportunity to revel in her unique way of looking at the world."—Sonia Alejandra Rodriguez, Booklist, Starred Review

"This wonderfully illustrated book stresses the positive legacy of Kaneko’s tragic life. A recommended purchase for all collections, especially those with an interest in international poetry."—Marilyn Taniguchi, School Library Journal

"Ito and Tsuboi render Misuzu’s plainspoken poems into graceful English (“The fish in the sea—/ no one looks after them;/ they do no harm./ And yet, here I am about to eat one”) and Jacobson provides the tragic biography of an artist whose life blazed and ended early...Hajiri’s warmhearted illustrations of turn-of-the-century Japanese life recall the work of Allan Say; they dwell on the closeness between Misuzu, her mother, and her daughter."— Publisher's Weekly

"Each brief poem addresses nature, children's observations, or both, in language that will be both accessible to the youngest readers and thought-provoking for adult caregivers. Striking, memorable imagery—a lost hat enjoying a new life as a bird's nest, the mystery of a cicada's molted husk—guarantees fruitful rereadings for readers of all ages."— Kirkus Reviews

“The poems themselves will appeal to children, while the book as a whole will speak to readers who are interested in Japanese literature and culture, in poetry and translation, and anyone who finds inspiration in poetry’s immortal nature.”—Kerry Clare, Quill & Quire

"Not since Hana’s Suitcase has such an exciting contribution to children’s literature emerged. Are You an Echo? has something for every reader: a compelling story and beautiful poems for children, factual accuracy and rich content for teachers and librarians, a respectful look at one woman poet’s experiences for feminists, and a glimpse into another time and place for parents and educators committed to multiculturalism, a fascinating genre mash-up for scholars, and a just-plain-gorgeous-in-the-hand book for everybody. Are You an Echo? will enrich the lives of every reader."—Michelle Superle, CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials

"Astonishingly beautiful and soulful, it hit the mark in every way. It was a reminder that softness and sensitivity have enormous value despite (and actually because of) all the harshness in the world."—Eve Kushner, Joy o'Kanji

"Are You an Echo? is a wonderful little book, both for the story and the poems (not to mention the illustrations), bringing a talented voice to the Anglophone world, one that reflects on matters most people gloss over.”—Tony Malone, Tony's Reading List

"Beautifully translated, written, and drawn, this graphic book—for children and adults alike—links two stories: that of a people faced with natural disaster, and that of the life of Misuzu Kaneko, revered Japanese poet of the early 20th century, whose works for children evince a cosmology of kindness we can all embrace. It’s almost a companion book to St. Exupery’s Little Prince ! Here stars, snow, echoes, silkworms, tomatoes, dewdrops and fish, among others, cohabit our world and give us hope together. Children will love Misuzu’s inquiring mind and her questions of the world, and will learn very gently as well about tragedy and difficulty, about the lives of women before feminism gave them a legal voice, and about the life-force of poetry.”
—Erín Moure, poet and translator

" Are You An Echo? transcends the genre of picture book biography. Beyond tracing the outline of the poet’s life, it tells a larger story about the search for Misuzu Kaneko’s personal history and the collaborative nature of biography, translation, and bookmaking. David Jacobson artfully blends Kaneko’s poems into his narrative, which is at once gentle and unflinching. The sweetness of Hajiri’s illustrations soften the harsher details of Kaneko’s short life, and just when you think the story is coming to a close, a generous selection of poetry follows."
—Matthew Burgess, poet and author of Enormous Smallness: a Story of e e cummings

" Are You An Echo? is brimming with compassion, empathy and love for all things on this planet … and beyond. The translations are truly superb – the illustrations, truly lovely. This is a book presented with all the beauty of an exquisite Japanese meal!"
—Roger Pulvers, winner of the Noma Award for the Translation of Japanese Literature

“A true miracle can be found in this book of wonders: amid exquisite artwork and lovely and compelling poems, Kaneko's magnificent spirit — the spirit of poetry — lives on despite her heartbreaking real-life story. An utterly original book of immense beauty and importance.”
—Brenda Shaughnessy, poet

“A mystery, a quest, a mother and a child, an earthquake and a discovery: Are You An Echo? folds poetry and history into recent events, resurrecting the work of Misuku Kaneko and bringing the gentle grace of her poems to a new generation.”
—Lauren Redniss, author of Radioactive, finalist for the National Book Award

"David Jacobson weaves poetry and tragic history into the poignant biography of an iconic Japanese children’s author. Leavened by gentle, expressive illustrations and a generous selection of translated poems ranging from observational to inspirational, Are You an Echo? confronts unlikely subjects for a picture book and will leave parents and children with much to discuss."
—Bruno Navasky, poet, translator and former editor of American Poet, the journal of The Academy of American Poets

From the Publisher

2016-07-20
A combined picture-book biography and brief anthology of poems by Japan’s foremost 20th-century poet for children. In her brief life, Misuzu Kaneko wrote and published hundreds of poems exploring the feelings of snowflakes and sardines, whales and birds. After her death, though her work was translated into many other languages, Misuzu’s poetry fell into obscurity in Japan, revived only following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Tohoku. The biographical portion of the book, by journalist Jacobson, covers Misuzu’s triumphs and tragedies, incorporating 10 poems that reflect her interest in the natural world and her gift for investing creatures and inanimate objects with unique perspectives. This section also sensitively addresses Misuzu’s suicide at age 26, following the swift progression of a then-untreatable sexually transmitted infection contracted from her husband. The second half of the book, which can be read along with the biography or separately, comprises 15 more of Misuzu’s poems—presented in both the original Japanese and in translation—accompanied by warm, thematically related illustrations. Each brief poem addresses nature, children’s observations, or both, in language that will be both accessible to the youngest readers and thought-provoking for adult caregivers. Striking, memorable imagery—a lost hat enjoying a new life as a bird’s nest, the mystery of a cicada’s molted husk—guarantees fruitful rereadings for readers of all ages. (Picture book/poetry/biography. 6-11)

Kirkus Reviews