A visitor asks Wabi Sabi what her name means, and she doesn’t know.  She begins a quest of finding out what her name means by asking her friends and others.  Most reply by saying, "That is hard to explain" but each quotes a haiku to really answer in part what her name means—that is what the wabi sabi philosophy is all about.  For example the dog Rascal quotes:

Poor

Wabi Sabi

As simple as a brown leaf.

So ordinary.

Each of the animals provide an example that lets Wabi Sabi and the reader see the essence of the wabi sabi philosophy as each gives a different aspect of the philosophy.

Ed Young provides breath-taking collages that, in most cases, cover a two-page spread.  Together, Reibstein and Young bring us the unique world of wabi sabi.  The reader comes away with the idea that being simple and natural is quite all right—in fact it is the way she should be.  This is an intriguing little story that will introduce a new way of thinking about ourselves to many young readers.

At the end of the book, the author provides a brief history of wabi sabi and information on the haiku and haibun.