Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku

by Curtis Manley, Jennifer K. Mann (Illustrator)

Through haiku, a young boy narrates his family’s invigorating hike to the peak of Oregon’s South Sister volcano.

For centuries, haiku has offered meditation on the grace and majesty of nature. In Climbing the Volcano, old meets new as a young protagonist uses the poetic form to voice his wonder. Trekking uphill, the family encounters tiny toads, colorful butterflies, soaring birds of prey, and so much more to see, do, and feel. 

dormant volcano—
but at sunrise each day
it blazes

Climbing the Volcano is a call to adventure in the natural world, and a wonderful introduction to poetic forms. Young readers will be inspired to summit their own peaks and to find their own voices to share what they discover there. Whether you live in the shadow of a volcano, amid sprawling flatlands, or anywhere in between, Climbing the Volcano invites you to get out there and explore. 

Jennifer K. Mann’s breezy, childlike artwork harmonizes with Curtis Manley’s poetry to detail this mesmerizing Pacific Northwest journey.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Family, Adventure, Environment

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2024

About the author

I write for young people of all ages and strive to create fun books with facts about the world around us and truths about the worlds within.

curtismanley.com

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly my favorite. The back matter was great and provides readers with great information related to hiking and mountains. Some of the haikus in this felt forced and didn’t really flow with the rest of the story. This also isn’t written in the format of traditional Japanese haikus.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't the first book I've read written in haiku but it is so much fun. It follows a child and his parents on a hike up a volcano. The text is all a stream of haikus. The illustrations are absolutely lovely. They feel childlike with their rough textures and I love the water scenes with the smudged reflections. A beautiful journey. 

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The combination of several different mediums presents readers with a panoramic view of the South Sister volcano that the young hero climbs with his family. The use of printmaking, pencil drawing, and digital collage and paint creates a lovely collection of images of both the natural world and the wonder of the boy. In its brief moments, the haiku highlights the simple moments that make up the family's journey up the mountain. From

"how do you
climb a mountain?
one step at a time"

to

"trying to sleep--
what mountain will I climb
next?"

Manley takes readers on an awe-inspiring trip up a mountain. I could almost breathe in the chilly, fresh air as I read. The variety of different sized illustrations differentiates between the huge, stunning views of the mountains and the small natural wonders such as mosquitoes and paw prints in the snow. A wonderful book perfect for sharing before a trip into nature or for inspiring young listeners into sharing their own journeys.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. The illustrations are very pretty but not necessarily my favorite style. It does work as a solid introduction to the Haiku. Don't forget to read the author's note. There are also interesting facts and craft ideas at the back of the book.

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one, and I’m not a poetry person. The haiku work beautifully for the subject matter.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richly textured and layered mixed media prints successfully capture both the grandure of nature and the child-centered charm of a family climbing a dormant volcano. Each segment of the journey is captured by a haiku, as the two dark-haired, tan-skinned, gender neutral kids and their parents travel through four separate climate zones to reach the summit. Outlined panels mirror the step by step journey, with panoramas filling the pages when the family stops to rest.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nature-themed mixed media illustrations in this picture book [3.5 for me!] complement a young hiker's haiku about his family's trip up the slopes of the South Sister volcano in Oregon. The minimal text, appropriate for this form of poetry, contains pithy observations about the journey up and back ["heading down-- / so much easier / than climbing up" (unpaged) and some of its pleasures ["the mountain shivers / in the breeze" (unpaged) and pains {"mosquitoes looking / for a hot drink" (unpaged). What a clever way to describe the hike and the small but meaningful moments the narrator experienced! The haiku will take readers along the same path he traveled and maybe prompt an itch to head out on a mountain climbing adventure of their own.

[Courtenay · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a climber myself, I can appreciate each Haiku verse as a child and the child's family make their way up to the summit of a volcano and back down. The afternotes share that this is based on South Sister, a round trip of 12 miles and nearly 4000' -- I don't know any kids who can do that length of trip, much less with one being carried in a backpack but... more power to Manley if he actually did. This reminded me of climbing Mt. St. Helens, which I've done a handful of times. Love that it's in verse, terse and concise and evocative.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief summary: A family hikes up South Sister, an Oregon volcano, and the young boy shares his observations in haiku, including the terrain, animals, and insects encountered.

Comments: The back sections of the book include "More About Climbing a Mountain," which provides information on the volcano, necessary equipment, poetry, and living organisms, and "Further Information," which lists books and websites.

The illustrations are created with a mix of collograph and monotype printmaking, pencil drawing, digital collage, and paint.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book about hiking. What I love about it, is it's told in Haiku. It works very well.

They are climbing a volcanic mountain in Oregon that takes the whole day. They camp at the foot of the mountain and they hike up and then down the mountain. Because it's Haiku, it really brings out the nature and the poems work well.

Some of the background scenes were nice, but I wasn't really a fan of the artwork so much. Fuzzy and sloppy. It was fine.

Any nature kids out there will love this book.

[Shella · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic picture book. I was confused when I started to count the syllables, but the backmatter of the book is important and explained my confusion. I would read that part first and then start the book. Since it is all in poetry, this would make more sense to the reader and would get more out of it. I would have like to see a read map added to the book. This one should win some awards. Great addition to any library.

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a family's hike up a mountain, a Dorman volcano, is based on the author's experience and is seamlessly told in a series of haiku and beautifully illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann in full spreads and panels. Generous back matter provides scientific information on the mountain, flora, and fauna but it's the text, along with the illustrations, that provide humor, wonder, and joy.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hiking in Oregon up the side of a volcano is a feat all by itself but doing it as a family involves preparation and sticktoitness. But the reward if fantastic because the learning and the views are indescribable. This story in haiku is nice, but I wanted a more natural flow to each of the poems.

Backmatter is super informative!

[LS Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

the power and imagery of this poetry is amazing. the skill of the poet is on full display in this book. the back matter in the book is outstanding - explains haiku as it is done in Japan and how it compares when written in other languages; the constraints of the medium, etc. Illustrations are wonderful and add even more to the imagery

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great poetry, wonderful illustrations that convey the Three Sisters Experience, fabulous back matter that shares so much about this area of the Pacific Northwest, as well as a helpful explanation and encouragement about the poetry. The haiku works to make you truly present on the whole hike.

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

A child and their family hike up a volcano, on a beautiful sunny day. The journey is captured in Haiku as they make their way to the top (through three unique climate zones) and back down again. There is lots of back matter about the location of the hike and about Haiku poetry. A lovely read.

[Richard Tice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent English-language haiku that touch on points of the journey up and down the mountain. I love the artwork too. Incidentally, the mountain being climbed is one of the Three Sisters near Bend, Oregon, and the art is based on actual places on that mountain.

[Jenna Daucunas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! What a beautiful journey and little poems on each page to tell the story. It flowed really well and my daughter and I enjoyed it. I love the ending with thinking about more climbs and hikes to come.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to love about a book that combines an introduction to a beautiful form of poetry (haiku) with great illustrations and a fabulous science/nature component? This one is wonderful! Lots to look at and discuss with young readers.

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story with lots of embedded facts...told all in haiku!

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations and educational elements are nice, but the haikus don't always flow well, and this feels too long and dragged out.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely peak into a family's hiking and camping journey all told through haiku poems. This would be a great book to introduce students to haiku form.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story all in Hulu has a message of conquering mountains and a good overview of hiking

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have personally climbed this mountain, hurray! i really liked this

[Emma Fultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting away from the typical prose story picture book with this one and enjoying some poetry.

[Christine Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful haikus. Really makes me want to climb a mountain!

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both a fun introduction to haiku and also to outdoor exploration. The illustrations are simple, but work for the child's perspective of the book. The haiku form works really nicely here, in my opinion. I like the panel type images and text that could be read aloud.

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a family's hike up a volcano written in a series of Haikus.