A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Park, Linda Sue. 2007. TAP DANCING ON THE ROOF. Ill. by Istvan Banyai. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 978-0-618-23483-7.
B. PLOT SUMMARY
This entertaining collection of Korean sijo poems starts with a poem titled, “Breakfast” and ends conversely with “Day’s End.” In between, some of the structured syllabic verses cover broad topics like the months of “October” and “November,” while others are about the minutiae of everyday life, like “Pockets” and “Laundry.” The sijo form brings an extra serving of fun to the end of each poem, with a twist, a pun or a play on words.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
These poems are a delight! Written for children, the subject matter is light and joyful, even silly. Several seem very whimsical, like “Long Division.” Linda Sue Park takes something mundane, like a math problem, and personifies the numbers. The poem describes the numbers as “bumping the wall, digging up the cellar, tap dancing on the roof.” The illustrations by Banyai are entertaining to look at, as the numbers and little characters interact around the equation.
Many of the poems are about things in nature- a frog, a summer storm, snow, etc. The descriptions or perspective of the poems are child-like. Park utilizes personification as a figurative language tool to bring life and personality to many of the natural elements, like the “daffodils blare out the news” and my favorite, “Lightning jerks the sky awake to take her photograph, flash!”
Honestly, the cultural markers are hard to find. The art form itself is Korean, and widely unknown. Most have heard of a Haiku, but I had never heard of a Sijo before this book. Originally, sijos were songs, passed down orally.
D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2008
Booklist starred, December 2007
Horn Book Magazine, September 2007: “Banyai's illustrations enhance the collection with an extra element of wit and imaginative freedom; he staves off sentiment with ironic, retro-style cartoons, carefree lines, and playful interpretations of the verbal text.”
Horn Book Magazine starred, April 2008
Kirkus Reviews starred, September 2007
School Library Journal starred, November 2007: “The selections are thoughtful, playful, and quirky; they will resonate with youngsters and encourage both fledgling and longtime poets to pull out paper and pen. The author's note includes historical background on sijo, further-reading suggestions, and a helpful guide to writing in the form. A smart and appealing introduction to an overlooked poetic form.”
E. CONNECTIONS
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