Footprints on the Roof: Poems About the Earth [Hardcover]

Marilyn Singer (Author), Meilo So (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

This provocative collection of poems ranges from such lofty subjects as an astronaut’s view of Earth to the burrows of worms and little creatures within the earth, “where I try to tread softly: a quiet giant leaving only footprints on the roof.” Marilyn Singer’s lilting free verse offers visual images that give us fresh new insights and respect for the mighty power of volcanoes, fens, islands, deserts, dunes, and natural disasters. Singer’s easily accessible poems also include some of the lighter moments of childhood, such as sliding on ice and playing in mud. Meilo So’s distinctive india ink drawings on rice paper provide an especially handsome showcase for these buoyant nature poems.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

She treads gently over "mazy metropolises" of rabbits and worms. She chooses the ooze of mud. She contemplates "dormant dragons," natural disasters, and tadpoles born in the "sudden pools" of desert rain. Poet Marilyn Singer all but sings to the earth in this tribute to the wet, dry, hot, cold, messy natural places of the planet. Her free verse surprises the reader with its unexpected perspectives, and yet the images have a rightness to them that settles quietly in the heart. In "Back to Nature," Singer talks about how people want to be far away from humus moss and leaf mold, "from things soft and unpredictable / that slide beneath our feet," and yet even among our lampposts and sewers, nature returns, dropping mulberries "fat and purple" on the sidewalk, "turning the pavement soft and unpredictable / making it slide beneath our feet." Illustrator Meilo So's (The 20th-Century Children's Poetry Treasury) black-and-white India ink drawings on rice paper are breathtaking, as simple and complex as the poems themselves. Both Singer and So inspire the imagination with this lovely collection. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

"Sometimes I'm in the mood for mud When my toes have tasted too many sidewalks. In the park or by the river I choose ooze," writes Marilyn Singer in "Mud," one of several environmentally-themed offerings in Footprints on the Roof: Poems About the Earth. Meilo So's illustrations, rendered in India ink on rice paper, evoke the serene quality of Japanese silkscreen.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; 1st ed edition (March 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375810943
• ISBN-13: 978-0375810947
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #935,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read with my 7 year old son, April 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Footprints on the Roof: Poems About the Earth (Hardcover)

I loved this book. I have read it every night with my son for the past week. It has beautiful poems and has great artwork. I recently bought it for a friend's child as well. This is accesible to children, but does not pander to them. Fabulous

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wonders of the Planet, Earth....., July 28, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Footprints on the Roof: Poems About the Earth (Hardcover)

Poet, Marilyn Singer celebrates the wonders of our planet in this inspiring and inventive collection of poems about the earth. From mud, ice, deserts, fens, and dunes, to natural disasters, volcanoes, islands, caves, and more, she brings the marvelous intricacies of our world to life on the page. Each lyrical free verse is filled with imagery, magic, and joy, and are complemented by artist, Meilo So's evocative and captivating black and white, India ink drawings. Together word and art send imaginations soaring, and bring a new appreciation and respect to the power and beauty of nature. Perfect for youngsters 10 and older, Footprints On The Roof is a thoughtful, well crafted collection that shouldn't be missed. "Out in the country I walk across towns/I'll never see:/mazy metropolises/under the earth/where rabbits hide from foxes/foxes hide from dogs/full-bellied snakes sleep snugly/worms work uncomplaining // Where what you see is nothing-/what counts is what you smell/or hear or feel/I try to tread softly:/a quiet giant/leaving only footprints/on the roof"