Bibliographic Information Park, L.S. (2007). Tap dancing on the roof. New York: Clarion Books.
Summary
This is a book of very witty and cute poems which are written in a Korean form of poetry called sijo. There is an explanation and history of sijo at the beginning of the book which helped to explain its format. Some of the poems had a surprise or twist at the end of them.
These poems deal with small experiences of everyday life. Breakfast, Long Division, School Lunch, and Art Class were very cute with a new way to look at common things. October was a good one, and I could almost feel the leaves blowing in the wind. Each poem was unique in its own way.
The November Thursday poem was my favorite, with the memory of a turkey and pie and needing my stomach to “S-T-R-E-T-C-H.” The Laundry poem was also good with the mention of a joyful reunion of socks. Who hasn’t had to match up socks and is happy when a match is found? I enjoyed all the poems in this book and was glad to get to know a little about the sijo form of poetry.
Impressions
I would recommend this cute little poem book for all ages. The sijo poems are written about everyday life. They are fun and easy to understand. The illustrations are done in gray and black with a touch of color. It was very interesting to learn about this Korean form of poetry.
Reviews
“Sijo,” Park tells readers of this beguiling wee book, “is a traditional Korean form of poetry. . . . The first line introduces the topic. The second line develops [it]. And the third line always contains some kind of twist.” Thus, “Pockets”: “What’s in your pockets right now? I hope they’re not empty: / Empty pockets, unread books, lunches left on the bus—all a waste. / In mine: One horse chestnut. One gum wrapper. One dime. One hamster.” Some sijo rhyme, some use six short lines instead of three long. All provide an intriguing glimpse into an art form that, like haiku, seems simple but is in fact exacting. The poems spring from roots in a child’s everyday life, from school to the out-of-doors to sports to homey activities, each inviting readers to examine their familiar world in new and surprising ways. Banyai’s whimsical decorations evoke the early 20th century, tiny moppets clad in knee pants gamboling about the page, adding their own droll commentary to the verses. A concluding note provides background, resources and tips for readers to try their own sijo. Fresh and collegial, this offering stands out. (Picture book/poetry. 9-12)
(2007, September 1). [Review of Tap Dancing on the Roof]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/linda-sue-park/tap-dancing-on-the-roof/?spdy=2007
Similar to the Japanese haiku, the Korean sijo packs image, metaphor and surprise into three long (or six short) lines with a fixed number of syllables: “Lightning jerks the sky awake to take her photograph, flash!/ Which draws grumbling complaints or even crashing tantrums from thunder—/ He hates having his picture taken, so he always gets there late.” Newbery Medalist Park’s (A Single Shard ) sijo skip lightly from breakfast (“warm, soft, and delicious—a few extra minutes in bed”) to bedtime (about bathing: “From a tiled cocoon, a butterfly with terry-cloth wings”), with excursions to the backyard, the classroom, and the beach (“Are all the perfect sand dollars locked away somewhere—in sand banks?”). The sijo’s contours are clean and spare, qualities echoed in the blue-gray, black and white architecture and crisp shadows of Banyai’s (Zoom ) digital illustrations. In the spirit of Park’s experiments with this verse form, Banyai’s miniature children bounce through a series of imaginative leaps unencumbered by the rules of the real world. They sleep in teacups, grow wings and fly among the flowers, snip mathematical equations to bits with gigantic pairs of scissors, and wreak havoc with bottles of ink. Park wants readers to try sijo for themselves, and in an extensive author’s note she offers history, advice and encouragement; her own sijo and Banyai’s cheeky images will supply the motivation. Ages 9-12. (Oct.)
(2007, October 15). [Review of Tap Dancing on the Roof]. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-618-23483-7
Library Use
Librarians could use this book in a poetry unit. It could also be compared to and contrasted with other different types of poetry, such as Haiku.
No comments:
Post a Comment