Kiyoshi's Walk

Review
By Booklist

Where does poetry come from? That’s what Kiyoshi, a little boy, is trying to find out in this picture book from author and poet Karlins. In order to help Kiyoshi, Kiyoshi’s grandfather, also a poet, takes him on a perambulation through their city. Inspired by sights, sounds, smells, and feelings along the way, the grandfather periodically grabs his pen and notebook and transforms everyday experiences into haiku. That includes observing oranges stacked high at the grocery store, listening to the whir of pigeons’ wings, and feeling lonely by the river at sunset. In the end, Kiyoshi tries his own hand at writing and, on the way home, sees many more possibilities for poetry. By writing to all the senses, Karlins places readers right alongside Kiyoshi on his walk.Wong’s illustrations bring them in even deeper, progressing from simple portraits of the home to streets of city neighborhoods to stunning nighttime scenes by an illuminated river. The caring relationship between grandfather and grandson is the glue that holds the story together.