1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Singer, Marilyn. Mirror, Mirror. Illus. by Josée Masse.Dutton Children’s Books: New
York, 2010. ISBn 978-0-525-47901-7
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This illustrated children’s book is a collection of reversible
poems about traditional fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Red
Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and a dozen others. Each is a standalone
poem, which makes for easy one-poem-a-night for children.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Singer has had great success with reversible
poems—poems that when flipped, have a different meaning that still makes sense.
The poems are fun, easily accessible for children, and exceedingly clever in
their word arrangement.
For instance, this poem is from Cinderella before she goes to the ball, and then from her while she is at the ball
| Isn't life unfair? Stuck in a corner, while they're waiting for a chance with the prince, dancing waltz after waltz at the ball, I'll be shining these shoes till the clock strikes midnight. |
Till the clock strikes midnight, these shoes! I'll be shining at the ball dancing waltz after waltz with the prince while they're waiting for a chance, stuck in a corner. Isn't life unfair? |
While the words remain the same when read down
or read up, the punctuation and capitalization may change.
The illustrations of this children’s books are
brightly colored. Like the cover, each picture is split in half, each side
depicting one of the two reversible poems on the opposite page. For instance,
in “Do You Know My Name?” the first poem is from the girl’s perspective, and
the second poem is from Rumpelstiltskin’s perspective. The illustration, split
in half, has the girl on one side, and Rumpelstiltskin on the other. The
illustrations are incredibly important, as not all the poems have the name of
the fairy tale in the title (such as “Do You Know My Name?) and the poems don’t
normally say who is talking.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
FROM KIRKUS REVIEWS: A collection of
masterful fairy-tale–inspired reversos—a poetic form invented by the
author, in which each poem is presented forward and backward. Although the
words are identical in each presentation, changes in punctuation, line breaks
and capitalization create two pieces that tell completely different stories. […]
Masse’s gorgeous, stylized illustrations enhance the themes of duality and
perspective by presenting images and landscapes that morph in delightful ways
from one side of the page to the other. A mesmerizing and seamless celebration
of language, imagery and perspective.
FROM
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: Beautiful both as object and as a way of getting kids
interested in poetic forms, this is a must purchase for any library or home
collection. One of a kind.
FROM BOOKLIST:
Singer explains in an author’s note about her invented poetic form. “It is a
form that is both challenging and fun—rather like creating and solving a
puzzle.” Singer also issues an invitation for readers to try to write their own
reversos on any topic. Matching the cleverness of the text, Masse’s deep-hued
paintings create split images that reflect the twisted meaning of the
irreverently witty poems and brilliantly employ artistic elements of form and
shape—Cinderella’s clock on one side morphs to the moon on the other. A
must-purchase that will have readers marveling over a visual and verbal feast.
Grades 2-5.
5. CONNECTIONS
Other books by Marilyn Singer
- Follow, Follow, ISBN (Another Reverso Poetry book)
- Tallulah’s Tutu, ISBN 0547173539
- Rutherford B, Who Was He? Poems About Our Presidents, ISBN 1423171004
- A Stick is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play, ISBN 0547124937
Activity: Create your own Reversible Rhyme!
·
Discuss what makes a reversible rhyme work.
·
For younger students, do one together, for
older students, individual work
·
Decide on a topic—mother goose rhymes,
popular movies, fairy tales that are not in Mirror,
Mirror, and go from there.
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