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