Footprints on the Roof

Bibliography:
Singer, Marilyn. 2002. Footprints on the Roof. Ill. by Meilo So. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-81094-3

Plot Summary:
This book includes many free verse poems about all the things and naturally occuring events on earth. Singer describes how nature is all around us, used in our lives everyday and beautiful in its own way. From natural disasters, crops, deserts, summer solstice, to islands, ice, mud, and caves, includes it all.

Critical Analysis:
This book contains vocabulary appropriate for older children, such as "sauropods", "thrashing", and "ancestral". The poetry itself leaves the reader feeling grateful and content living on the wonderful planet Earth. Singer arouses the senses with the descriptive language. She reminds us of natures perks that we sometimes take for granted such as, "...the scent of roses...the lulling hum of bees..a cloud scudding briefly across the sun...a slightly pointed breeze...to remind you that the earth has turned again."

The illustrations are done on rice paper and portray true Japanese style. They are very simple sketches done in only black and white. Almost all of the illustrations are done solely on the right half of the pages, next to the poem they are to describe. The visual helps aid the mind in picturing what is being read and they also give a deeper sense of appreciation for the text. Younger children may be bored with this book with the large range of vocabulary and black and white pictures, however, older children will begin to gain appreciation for this style illustration and poetry as well as the planet they live on.

Review Excerpts:
Emilie Coulter: "Both Singer and So inspire the imagination with this lovely collection."
Publisher's Weekly: "Meilo So's illustrations, rendered in India ink on rice paper, evoke the serene quality of Japanese silkscreen."

Connections:
*This book can be used to teach about natural resources and conservation.
*This book can help demonstrate how to write a free verse poem.
*This book can be the engage component in a lesson about various natural disasters.
*This book can teach the appreciation of the small things in life.