Book Review: Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo (Poems)
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this witty, playful book of poems
introduces Sijo, a Korean form of poetry.
Families can talk about the images in each sijo, and then the clever, unexpected twists at the end. Anyone who loves words and wordplay, even young readers, will enjoy the craft involved. And, they will have fun following the tips at the end of the book to construct their own.
Common Sense Media Review
Even without understanding the traditional form of sijo,
reading these poems aloud is a joy. For any age, the subject
matter of each verse is gentle and easy to connect to. The word
play is witty and fun, but not too silly, and each poem ends
with a subtle twist.
Each of the poems in this book are Linda Sue Park originals. And each is illustrated with the simple cartoon-like artwork of Istvan Banyai, whose editorial illustrations can be found in the pages of The New Yorker and Rolling Stone. This is the first book of poetry for Park, the daughter of Korean immigrants who published her first poem when she was 10. Aside from writing it and other picture books and novels, she won the Newbery Medal for A Single Shard in 2002.
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