Book Summary:
A new form of poetry, reverse poems are read once forward
and then again backward to create two separate poems using the exact same
words. These particular reversos are based on well-known fairy tales. Cinderella,
Sleeping Beauty, and more all find themselves written with slightly new twists.
Singer uses her unique voice to tell these tales in her own way. By changing
only the punctuation and emphasis, the exact same words read in reverse order
take on a completely new meaning.
APA Reference of Book:
Singer, M. (2010). Mirror,
mirror. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books.
Impressions:
I’m not a big fan of poetry. I feel that I have to try too
hard to understand what the author is trying to say to really enjoy it.
However, I really find this type of poem entertaining. Writers who are able to
pen these poems are really thinking about every word they use and the basic
structure of their writing. Singer is a great poet for this. I was able to meet
Singer this summer, and hearing her read her own poetry brought it to life for
me.
Along with enjoying this poetry structure, I also liked the
choice of subject for the book. I love fairy tales. Most people are extremely
familiar with them. Being able to read a short insight into the fairy tale and
see it from two different points of few made this book fun to read. I gave it
to my daughter, and she also enjoyed reading the different poems about her
favorite stories.
Professional Review:
*Starred Review* This ingenious book of reversos, or poems
which have one meaning when read down the page and perhaps an altogether
different meaning when read up the page, toys with and reinvents oh-so-familiar
stories and characters, from Cinderella to the Ugly Duckling. The five opening
lines of the Goldilocks reverso read: “Asleep in cub’s bed / Blonde / startled
by / Bears, / the headline read.” Running down the page side-by-side with this
poem is a second, which ends with: “Next day / the headline read: / Bears
startled / by blonde / asleep in cub’s bed.” The 14 pairs of poems—easily
distinguished by different fonts and background colors—allow changes only in
punctuation, capitalization, and line breaks, as 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.
Austin, P. (2010, January 1). Mirror mirror: A book of reversible
verse [Review of the book Mirror mirror:
A book of reverse poems by Marilyn Singer]. Booklist, 106(9/10), 81. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Book-Reverso-Poems/dp/0525479015/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449115906&sr=8-3&keywords=mirror+mirror
Library Uses:
This book is a great example of a unique style of poetry and would be excellent to add to a unit on poetry. Individual poems or sections
of the poems could be used to create a bulletin board display for different
forms of poetry. Perfect for celebrating Poetry Month in April.
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