Tap Dancing on the Roof is a collection of fun poems by Linda Sue Park and illustrated by Istvan Banyai. And while the topics of the poems themselves are not related to Korean culture, the form of the poems are. They are sijo, a type of Korean poem that has a fixed number of stressed syllables, usually divided into three or six lines. Yes, it's sort of like haiku, with two major differences: the syllable count is fourteen-sixteen per line (in English), and the third line must contain a some kind of twist-- either humorous or ironic.First off, the poems are charming, and the twist at the end of each one makes them great fun to read. Of course, Istvan Banyai's illustrations are always wonderful in that quirky way, and their simplicity fits the style of the poems perfectly. Here's one of my favorites:
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.
This is a great little volume introducing another type of poem that is fun for kids to read and try to write themselves. I'm glad there is an alternative to the haiku, especially one that is a traditional form from another Asian culture. There is a helpful author's note at the back of the book giving some more details about the syllabic count and stresses, historical background, and further reading.
Tap Dancing on the Roof
sijo by Linda Sue Park
illustrated by Istvan Banyai
feed me
