Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo (Poems)

A one-of-a-kind and funny book to share and read aloud from Newbery medalist Linda Sue Park and artist Istvan Banyai.

Carefully crafted and deceptively simple, Linda Sue Park’s sijo are a pleasure to read and an invitation to experiment with a less-familiar poetic form. Istvan Banyai’s giddy illustrations add a luster to a book that is truly a gem.

Sijo, a traditional Korean verse form, has a fixed number of stressed syllables and a humorous or ironic twist at the end. Like haiku, sijo are brief and accessible.

The verses in this book illuminate funny, unexpected aspects of the everyday–of breakfast, houseplants, tennis, freshly washed socks.