This book was such a surprise! I couldn't believe how much information was packed into 32 pages. I had never encountered tanka poetry before, and I appreciated that the explanation of the form was on the first page rather than in the back matter. It included the history and tradition, as well as the modern application. This book was a string of tanka poems telling the story of a family of orangutans. Through minimal language, Margarita Engle showed us a day in the life of three generations of orangutans. Their movement, their interactions with their human caretakers and the environment, and their relationship to each other was so simply and effectively communicated that I feel like I spent the day with them in person. Renee Kurilla's simple color palette kept the focus on the characters and lent movement to the composition of the pages. This is a GREAT book to teach a poetic form within the context of engaging science and conservation.

All the orangutans are ready for a nap of the afternoon except for one. Instead the little, eager orangutan wants to dance! Will any of the other orangutans dance with her? A very cute way to get the children to get their "wiggles" out and dance to have fun! A very fun children's book! ( )

Orangutan story told in tankas, a Japanese form of poetry. ( )