This second volume of haiku focusing on the animal kingdom takes you on a journey through a single day with a variety of animal companions. The book will reproduce works by the great 17th and 18th century poets such as Bash, Buson and Issa, as well as later works by contemporary writers and novelists. The haiku form is a perfect way of capturing a moment of experience or a fleeting impression, and in this book, the impressions are strengthened and extended by the illustrations. Special is made of Utamaros exquisite Ehon mushi erabi (A Selection of Insects). The fact that this sophisticated...

The British Museums vast collections include wonderful images of birds from all over the world. Some are primarily decorative, whereas Thomas Bewick and the Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro chose to show birds in realistic detail, going about their daily lives. Other artists concentrate on scientific accuracy. This book deals with this topic.