A many-layered picture book based on the journeys of Basho, the 17th-century haiku poet who criss-crossed Japan by foot. The story, as told by Dawnine Spivak, communicates the simplicity of Basho's life and much of the ethos of daily life in old Japan. The illustrations, painted in colored ink on rice paper by the wonderful artist Demi, give a visual life to Spivak's text, as well as to the haikus which appear throughout the book. Ages 4-8.  (JPN97, $18.99)