Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku

Manley (The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures) writes a collection of haiku in the voice of a child whose family summits a dormant volcano in the Pacific Northwest. In digitally finished multimedia artwork that maintains a hand-drawn look, Mann (Maple and Rosemary) views the distant, glowing peak from the group’s campsite. Via the poetic form’s short lines, Manley describes the tan-skinned family setting off through pine trees, swatting mosquitoes, and spotting other beings (“I crouch down and smile/ at tiny toads”). Soon, snow appears, the pines grow shorter as treeline approaches, and more marvels emerge (“up here in the sky—/ what everyone talks about/ is butterflies”). At the summit, framed against a breathtaking expanse, the young narrator stands on the spot “I saw blazing/ at dawn.” Fragments of beauty and knowledge echo the fleeting nature of encounters with life in the wild, and readers share the young hiker’s sense of triumph at having taken on an impressive expedition that feels well within the realm of the possible. Back matter includes more about hiking and the animals mentioned. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Jan.)