Bibliography
Singer, Marilyn. Footprints on the Roof: poems about the earth. Illustrated by Meilo So. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. ISBN 0-375-81094-3
Plot Summary
This is a collection of 19 free verse poems about the Earth, written by Marilyn Singer. Singer’s subjects cover caves, volcanoes, ice, plants, natural disasters, and the seasons. There is even a poem about viewing Earth from outer space.
Critical Analysis
The title of the book comes from a line in the poem Burrows. It’s about the animals who make their home under the Earth’s surface and that we are “Footprints on the Roof” of their homes. Dormant Dragons is my favorite poem in the collection. The poem is about volcanoes and how they compare to dragons. They lie dormant for years until they finally erupt “furious they breath fire and smoke”
Singer’s words are carefully chosen for their impact and meaning. You can almost picture the sun bursting across the desert in pinks and golds or the absence of light in the caves. Every poem is accompanied by an illustration. Meilo So’s India ink drawings on rice paper appear organic and are a perfect match to the earthy theme of the book.
Awards and Excerpts
Children's Books of Distinction, 2003 ; Riverbank Review; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Choices, 2003 ; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States
School Library Journal Review excerpt “harmony is achieved between text and image with no extraneous words or strokes. A welcome addition to nature-poetry collections.”
Booklist review excerpt “The poems in Singer's latest collection are deeply earnest celebrations of the natural world.”
Connections
Other poetry books by Marilyn Singer:
A Full Moon is Rising : poems (2011)
Twosomes : love poems from the animal kingdom (2011)
Central Heating : poems about fire and warmth (2005)
How to Cross a Pond : poems about water (2003)
No comments:
Post a Comment