THE ANIMALS
Selected Poems
by Michio Mado & translated by Empress Michiko & illustrated by Mitsumasa Anno
A first appearance in English for Michio Mado, Japan's 1990 nominee for the Andersen Award. The translator—Japan's Empress- -has selected 20 of his brief, delicately phrased poems for this handsome bilingual edition, each page adorned with the same decorative cut-paper frieze of stylized animals by Japan's most renowned illustrator. The poems are disarmingly (and deceptively) simple (of ``A Little Bird'': ``A dewdrop/from the sky?//A bud/of a song?//May I touch you/Just with my eye?''); there are gentle touches of humor or whimsy, and some striking images (``Zebra'': ``In a cage/Of his/Own making''). They have a cumulative effect; the poet is a thoughtful observer who responds to the world of nature with rueful wonder and a gently philosophical tone. Lovely. (Poetry. 5+)