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Mirror Mirror
By: Marilyn Singer
Illustrated by: Josee Masse
Singer, Marilyn. 2010. MIRROR MIRROR.
Ill. Josee Masse. New York: Dutton Children’s Books an imprint of Penguin Group
(USA) Inc. ISBN 978-0525-47901-7.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Could up be
down and down be up? Is it possible to read poetry up to down and then back up?
In this witty collection of “reversals” Marilyn Singer proves that you can make
sense from down to up. A classic tale with a new twist, her poetic verse will
challenge any reader to see if they have some fun in reversal.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
We always
knew that the princess kissed the frog, or was it the frog kissed the princess?
Marilyn Singer has shown us a new twist on poetic verse in the form of
reversals. She challenged herself to see if she would be able to and MIRROR
MIRROR delights readers with her cunning wit. “Who says it’s true-down is the
only view? If you believe that, this poem will challenge you. Up is something
new……”(Singer, 2010.) Poetry doesn’t have to have a single form, and poetry doesn’t
have to have a standard rhyme. Poetry can be fun and challenging if you allow
your mind the time. Look in a mirror and see what you can think of. Have fun with words and see what you can create!
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
From School Library
Journal
Starred Review. Grade
3–6—This appealing collection based on fairy tales is a marvel to read. It is
particularly noteworthy because the poems are read in two ways: up and down.
They are reverse images of themselves and work equally well in both directions.
"Mirror Mirror" is chilling in that Snow White, who is looking after
the Seven Dwarves, narrates the first poem of the pair. Read in reverse, it is
the wicked queen who is enticing Snow White to eat the apple that will put her
to sleep forever. "In the Hood" is as crafty as the wolf who tells of
his delightful anticipation of eating Red Riding Hood. The mirrored poem is Red
Riding Hood reminding herself not to dally since Grandma awaits. The vibrant
artwork is painterly yet unfussy and offers hints to the characters who are
narrating the poems. An endnote shows children how to create a
"reverse" poem. This is a remarkably clever and versatile book that
would work in any poetry or fairy-tale unit. A must-have for any library.—Joan
Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From BooklistCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
*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. --Patricia Austin
"The poems are both
cleverly constructed and insightful...giving us the points of view of
characters rarely considered." --Horn Book
"A mesmerizing and seamless celebration of language, imagery, and perspective." --Kirkus, starred review
"A mesmerizing and seamless celebration of language, imagery, and perspective." --Kirkus, starred review
CONNECTIONS:
To view an interview with Marilyn Singer -http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/singer/
To explore her website and other works -http://marilynsinger.net/
For printables from Scholastic.com - PRINTABLES
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