Brian Karas has always been moved and inspired by the haiku poetry of Issa, whose work is taught in schools and loved by children around the world. Here Karas has selected 22 of his favorite poems to tell the story of a year in the life of a family — a year in which they will experience the loss of their beloved grandfather, and also the renewal that comes from healing after loss. With stunning mixed media artwork that represents a major breakout for this acclaimed artist, TODAY AND TODAY offers an authentic, reassuring look at life's many cycles — and the small miracles that occur each day.

"Issa's elegant haiku and Karas's poignant illustrations guide readers through the seasons, symbolized by the changing branches of a cherry blossom tree. The translations of 18 works from several of the 18th-century Japanese poet's volumes come together in this collection like delicate beads, tiny moments common to us all. Meanwhile the illustrations follow the lives of a specific fictional family. Although death is never mentioned in the text, the beginning of the book shows an elderly man sitting peacefully on a chair as a father helps his son untangle a kite from the tree ('Just being alive!/ — miraculous to be in/ cherry blossom shadows!'). By winter, that chair is empty and, a few pages later, the family assembles in the cemetery ('Here/ I'm here — / the snow falling'). In a hopeful spread, a child sits in the once-empty chair beneath flowering branches ('As simple as that — / spring has finally arrived/ with a pale blue sky'). Small human figures appear against richly textured landscapes, as if underscoring the powerful cycle of nature. The view inside a house through a screened window, golden leaves streaming across the lawn like moonlight, and stars ringed in a midnight blue sky la Van Gogh — 'whispering to each other' — all act as touching backdrops for universal events. Combining various paper textures with both paint and pencil drawings, Karas creates a memorable feast of images that portray both the joy and sorrow of existence. Ages 4-8." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)