Do you love poetry and nature? If so, you will love Poems for Every Season--A Year of Haiku, Sonnets, and More written by Bette Westera and illustrated by Henriette Boerendans. It was translated by David Colmer and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

The book is divided into four sections, one for each season. Each section begins with a general poem specific to that section’s season and is then followed by one poem for each month of that season. The poems use a variety of formats, and the format of each poem is labeled in the bottom right corner of each page spread. 

The formats included are haiku, rondel, acrostic, double dactyl, pantoum, elevenie, tanka, quatrain, diamante, rondelet, limerick, stacking, and sonnet. The back matter includes an explanation of the rules for each format. 

When you think about the strict rules of each poetic form, it is incredible to think that the text was translated from Dutch into English, and the beauty of this collection of poems is even more astonishing and awe-inspiring.

I also fell in love with the artwork. Each page is beautifully illustrated in muted colors.  The artist used prints created with woodcuts to create a unique textured appearance. 

This book would make a perfect addition to any classroom or home library. I found it to be a collection worth treasuring. You can purchase the book online here.

Discussion Questions

1. What was your favorite poem of the collection? 
2. What was your favorite illustration? 
3. What poetry format was the most interesting to you?
4. What poetry format would you like to try to write?

Extension Activities

• Write a poem about something in nature.
• Illustrate your poem with markers, colored pencils, or crayons.
• Carving a potato into a shape, dip in paint, and try print-making.
• Make a poetry notebook by writing more poems or finding poems you like about topics of interest and copying them into your notebook.
• Memorize a poem.
• Share a poem with your family (either one you wrote or one you like). This can be as simple as reading a poem at the dinner table, or you could turn the idea into a poetry party with a special dessert and a microphone to “perform” your poetry. You could even act out a poem.

Mindy Baker resides in Indiana where she is a high school Spanish teacher. She is the author of Mouse’s Christmas Gift, Zonderkidz 2018, and Soledad and the Curse of the Phoenix, Chicken Scratch Books, 2025. She also has contributions in multiple Guideposts publications. You can connect online with Mindy here. In addition, she offers a free mini-magazine for parents, grandparents, and other caregivers of children. You can sign up to receive it here.