Tatsumi's first collection of verses for children. It contains 58 verses, most of which first appeared in Akai Tori [Red Bird] or Chichi no Ki [Ginkgo Tree]. It is divided into twelve sections, each with three to seven works. Most of the verses are of a fixed form, but one chapter contains five verses in a free form, named "verses for children" (dôshi).
In 1925, Tatsumi's "Minakuchi" ["A Gate to Draw Water to Rice Fields"] was approved by Kitahara Hakushu, judge of the verse section of Akai Tori [Red Bird], which appeared in the magazine. "Minakuchi" is a short poem, using as few words as possible. This style was greatly praised by Kitahara, and came to be used in many verses for children in early Showa era. These verses were for reading rather than singing. The verses in Yuki to Roba are an early example of this tendency. Yuki to Roba is also the earliest collection of poets who were under Kitahara's tutelage.
A reprint of the original edition was published by Ozorasha in 1997. |
