Footprints on the Roof

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Singer, Marilyn. 2002. Footprints on the Roof. New York, NY: Alfred A.Knopf. ISBN 0375810943

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Footprints on the Roof  is a collection of short, lively poems about nature, ranging from underground to the far-flung reaches of outer space. Starting from home, a safe place, Marilyn Singer takes the reader on a journey of exploration, celebrating the wonders of our world. Through her poems she teaches scientific concepts and principles, such as where creatures live and showing us why we should leave only footprints on their roof, hence the title of the compilation. She teaches over a wide range of topics in nature and science, including natural disasters, weather, islands, prehistoric animals, the seasons, and ecosystems. Through her poems, she presents to readers of any age the perspective of seeing the Earth as our address and why we should appreciate its infinite worth. 

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

In a fun, delightful way, award-winning author Marilyn Singer brings to bear key ideas in environmental stewardship: the Earth and our dependence on its wonders, our presence and role, and the presence of other creatures and our interdependence. Her prose moves across the page, with wide gaps between words where she wishes readers to pause and think, or to slow the reader down to emphasize and recreate the sensory experience, such as, “The flavor…subtle…bold…is stored in every grain of rice” in the poem, “Dining Out.” Her prose, flowing and smooth, carries the reader along, like a leaf on a stream, that occasionally eddies and then moves along on its way. Her prose is also imaginative, as in the personification of volcanoes as dragons. She introduces scientific words while creating vivid imagery, as in “Caves”, “Stalactites Stalagmites Rivers made of crystal Flowers made of stone.” Her clever writing is accessible, making science interesting and leaving readers wanting to learn more. With child-friendly topics, such as dinosaurs and mud, she creates eager interest with lines such as, “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,” from the poem “Mud.” She presents complex scientific concepts, such as the difference in seasons between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, in a straight-forward, understandable way. Fun alliteration energizes the pages, with examples such as “I’m a fan of fens” and “harvested in Chile or in China.” Her poems provide guidance for dealing with nature, such as the desert being the place “where hope is not for fools.” Singer also includes a poem, “Patience,” where she explores the restoration and solace we can find in nature. 

Meilo So’s lively India ink illustrations complement each poem with energy, movement, and the feeling of Japanese silkscreen. Moments of whimsy created by details such as the teapot as a cloud add to the enjoyment of this book. Pictures, such as those showing the animals in their burrows underground, the house perched on the Earth, and the juxtaposition of a boy in winter clothes on one side of the globe while a girl eats an ice cream cone on the other side, all help readers to visualize and understand the scientific concepts presented.  

Overall, Footprints on the Roof  is a very enjoyable introduction to the wonders of our home, planet Earth, and a gentle lesson in the responsibility of mankind to appreciate and preserve its beauty, written in an accessible form for all readers.

5. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

From Booklist : “Gr. 5-10. Trees are go-betweens / listening to the stories / of both earth and sky." The poems in Singer's latest collection are deeply earnest celebrations of the natural world. Some selections are immediate, with sounds and images that will capture young readers: "I choose / ooze," Singer says of mud. Many other poems are filled with an older person's sense of insignificance--the fear and awe of nature's power to create and destroy--and some readers may find the lines lean too heavily on an adult's reverent vocabulary: "This is trees' work / and they do it with such uncomplaining grace." Best are the poems that show connections--that nature is everywhere: the taste of the earth and rain in food, for example. So's fluid, childlike watercolors might suggest an elementary audience, but middle-school and teen writers will probably enjoy this book the most.”

From School Library Journal: “Grade 1-4-In this celebratory collection, Singer's images are fresh and accessible and her wordplay never seems forced. In "Burrows," she observes, "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." In "Dormant Dragons," she writes, "Volcanoes there are that sleep the sleep of dragons With cool heads and hot bellies-." So's India-ink illustrations on rice paper capture the heart of each poem. Singer and So have created a work of minimalist art, in which harmony is achieved between text and image with no extraneous words or strokes. A welcome addition to nature-poetry collections.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Go on a nature walk with students, collecting nature items, such as stones, twigs, and pinecones (none alive, please). Using the items as prompts, have the students write poems about nature and our place in it. Create display posters or boards of poems attaching nature items and display them.

*Explore nature guides to find out more about nature. Have students create poem pictures about a particular aspect of nature that fascinates them.

*Other books of poetry about nature by Marilyn Singer:

Singer, Marilyn. Central Heating: Poems About Fire and Warmth. ISBN 0375829121

Singer, Marilyn. Fireflies at Midnight. ISBN 0689824920

Singer, Marilyn. How to Cross a Pond: Poems about Winter. ISBN 037582376X

Singer, Marilyn. Quiet Summer Night. ISBN 0618120440 

*Other books of poetry about nature:

Alarcon, Francisco X. and Maya Christina Gonzalez. Laughing Tomatoes: And Other Spring Poems / Jitomates Risuenos: Y Otros Poemas de Primavera. ISBN 0892391995

Brenner, Barbara. The Earth is Painted Green: A Garden of Poems.  ISBN 0590451359

Christian, Peggy. If You Find a Rock. ISBN 0152063544

Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems. ISBN 0152053727

George, Kristine O’Connell. Old Elm Tree Speaks. ISBN 0618752420

George, Kristine O'Connell. Hummingbird Nest. ISBN 0152023256

Yolen, Jane and Jason Stemple. Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People. ISBN  1590781724

*Nature guide books:

Boring, Mel, Diane Burns, and Leslie Dendy. Fun with Nature. ISBN 1559717025

Evert, Laura. More Fun with Nature. IBSN 1559717953

Kahl, Jonathan D.W. National Audubon Society First Field Guide: Weather. ISBN 0590054881

Milord, Susan. The Kids’ Nature Book: 365 Indoor/Outdoor Activities. ISBN