Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Singer, Marilyn. 2010. Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse. Ill. by Josée Masse. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 9780525479017

PLOT SUMMARY

In Mirror Mirror Marilyn Singer has created a fairy tale wedding as she brings together two genres and seamlessly blends them into a new and exciting form. Using carefully chosen words and a new poem structure that she calls “reverso,” Singer presents 12 popular fairy tales in an exciting and innovative manner. Each reading offers differing points of view of the same fairy tale event. For example, in Longing for Beauty we hear: A beast/can love/beauty; while in the reverso we hear: Beauty/can love/a Beast. The first and last reversos invite the reader to view the world differently and to follow the road upon which they are led.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Singer has created a fascinating new style of poetry. By its very nature, the art of creating poems that can be read both forwards and backwards while retaining sense requires structure, carefully chosen words, and a minimalist attitude. With changes only in punctuation and capitalization, each line reads the same in each direction, with an entirely different meaning. Singer gives a clever interpretation of popular fairy tales, and also offers the opposing point of view.

These 14 poems are well-suited to both reading silently and aloud. The rhythm can be hard to find during the first read, but once familiar with how the intonation should sound, works well. The use of rhyme is limited, but where it is used, flows well within the structure of the poems. Some of the poems present excellent word arrangements and emphasis to completely change the meaning. For example, in the poem In the Hood, Little Red Riding Hood is “In my hood,” while the wolf is “in my ‘hood.’”

While these reversos can stand alone, Masse’s brilliant illustrations add considerably to the fun of reading this book. Each illustration provides a visual representation of each pair of poems; the illustrations themselves are reversos. One half supports one side of the story and the other half the other side, but when viewed as a whole, each contains elements of the other. For example, the shape of Sleeping Beauty’s dress is on both sides of the drawing, but on one side it is her dress, while on the other side it forms the forest the prince travels through to reach Sleeping Beauty. The colors Masse uses are rich and deep, and draw the eye into the picture. Be sure and look at the pictures both close up and from a distance; you will be surprised by what you see.

The book is also laid out in a manner that is appealing to the reader. Poems and pictures face each other, but are on alternating leaves with each turn of a page. The final page of the book contains an explanation by Singer as to how reversos developed, with an invitation for readers to try a few on their own.

PERSONAL RESPONSE

I love this book! Again, I am struck by the creativity and cleverness of an author in producing this kind of work. The thought and care that must have gone into the choosing of each word or phrase must have been painstaking. The illustrations are also extremely well done. When sharing this book with my second grade students, I would get caught up in looking at the pictures myself instead of sharing them. My students, especially the girls, really enjoyed this as well. They kept asking for it over and over again, and were disappointed when I had to bring it home.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Cybil Award, 2010

Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts, 2011; NCTE Children's Literature Assembly; United States
Notable Children's Books, 2011; ALSC American Library Association; United States
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, 2010; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, February 8, 2010; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Starred Review: “This appealing collection based on fairy tales is a marvel to read.”

Booklist starred review: “A must-purchase that will have readers marveling over a visual and verbal feast.”

CONNECTIONS

Ø  After reading this book, have students try writing their own reversos. With the aid of the art teacher, illustrate the reversos using the same techniques that Masse employs in her fine illustrations.

Ø  Read other books by Marilyn Singer.

Singer, Marilyn. Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom. ISBN 9780375867101

Singer, Marilyn. Shoebop! ISBN 9780525479390

Ø  This would be a fun book to use to offer yet another look at perspective.

Ø  This would also be fun to do as a choral reading, having one half of your group of students reading one side of the reverso, and the other half reading the reverse of the poem.