[.ca] Footprints on the Roof: Poems About the Earth (ISBN 0375810943)

From Amazon.com:
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

The Wonders of the Planet, Earth.....:
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"

Great read with my 7 year old son:
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