An old pond.
A frog jumps in.
The sound of water.
—Basho
There are important lessons to be learned, even by proud poets, in this innovative tale of a fox who thinks he's a great poet and a great poet who thinks he can outdo a fox! It is the 1600s in Japan. Basho is writing the lovely haiku for which he is famous to this day. Given three chances by the fox, he must write a poem that "needn't be great—only good." Confident of his skill, he's sure he can win the challenge and its prize, the sweet cherries from the tree near his hut. But not all is what it seems as a newly humble Basho discovers! Delicate watercolors convey a truly Eastern sensibility that takes young readers back in time to feudal Japan while their playful perspectives reinforce the mischievous tone of the text.
