Tap Dancing on the Roof - Linda Sue Park

Poetry
Sijo (Poems)
Illustrated by Istvan Banyai
Clarion Books, 2007
40 pages
Endpapers: Ink bottle, splotches, kid dumping ink bottle, b&w on gray

What is sijo poetry? It's from Korea and, like haiku, is based on syllables. Usually three lines long, with 14 - 16 syllables on each line, it has one added requirement - there's a "twist" at the end. (Sometimes each of the three lines is split into two lines of 7-8 syllables.)

For example:

Art Class

Keesha says my fish doesn't look like anything she's ever seen.
"Flowered fins? Plaid scales? And the tail -- tie-dyed weirdo green?"

In this ocean, I am Queen. That tail, my dear, is aquamarine.

October

The wind rearranges the leaves,
as if to say, Much better there,"
and coaxes others off their trees:
"It's lots more fun in the air."

Then it plays tag with a plastic bag,
and with one gust uncombs my hair!

Bedtime Snacks

Good: Cookies and one glass of milk
for two dunkers -- me and my dad.

Better: Popcorn, a video,
and sleeping bags stuffed with friends.

Best: Blanket pulled up over my head --
book, flahshight, and chocolate bar.

Illustrations are simple, black, white, and gray with a touch of blue on one or a touch of red on another.

At the end, there's a two page author's note about sijo. Interestingly, she says there's only one other collection of sijo for young readers in English, Sunset in a Spider Web (Virginia Olson Baron, 1974) and it's out of print.

I wonder how hard these would be for fourth graders to write?