Written by: Marilyn Singer
Illustrated by: Joseé Masse
Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse is a collection of 14 sets of short poems about traditional fairytales written in reverso, meaning that each poem is presented in two ways: top to bottom and then flipped from bottom to top. By writing poems with this unique structure, Singer highlights the idea that there are always "two sides to any story." Through the presentation of alternate perspectives, Singer pushes readers to think critically about what they know of classic fairytales. Each set of poems is accompanied by an illustration that also draws upon this mirror framework to create a fresh look at many beloved stories including Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Ugly Duckling, and more.
After reading these poems, I think that Marilyn Singer has accomplished a great feat with this book, as the reverso is a difficult format to follow. In her "About the Reverso" section of the book, Singer states that "changes [are] allowed in punctuation and capitalization" when reversing the order of lines from one poem to the next, but nothing else may change. Singer goes on to state that these poems are "rather like creating and solving a puzzle," and I think she has found a puzzle that children would love to hear and explore!
In addition to her unique structure, Singer also utilizes her wit to create clever wordplay and line break strategies to increase reader engagement with these alternate perspectives. Here is one example of an alternate perspectives within "Do You Know My Name?" on Rumpelstiltskin:
"Do you know my name? "My foolish self-
Think of straw turned to gold. a girl
In this story. by greed
I am betrayed.
famous I am liked,
but not but not
liked. famous.
I am I am
betrayed in this story.
by greed, Think of straw turned to gold.
a girl, Do you know my name?"
my foolish self."
The change in perspective highlights the story's ignorance of the girl traditionally thought of as the clever hero in the story, because she has not even been given a name. Additionally, I love the careful reversal of the ideas of being liked vs. famous. Masee's illustration aligns well with the text for this poem, because half of the image depicts Rumpelstiltskin's name spelled out in smoke from a fire, while the girl's half presents indecipherable scribbles of her golden thread.
Masee's illustrations feature acrylic paintings separated into different segments (usually in halves) to depict the distinct perspectives presented within the reversed poems. Careful attention is given to color, evidenced by the frequent color reversal between illustration halves. For example, when focusing on Cinderella, the first image shows Cinderella in able dress in front of a gold background, while the flipped image presents her in a yellow dress on a blue background. This attention to color creates a stark visual contrast that mirrors the nature of the poetic text.
In all, this is a wonderful collection of poems with colorful and engaging illustrations that would make a fantastic read aloud for young children. The familiar emphasis on fairytales and the short length of each poem will resonate especially with young readers, though all who enjoy fairytales will probably connect with this book. The detail given to the wordplay within each poem will fascinate readers of all ages and lead to an enjoyable experience for all!
This book was awarded the Cybil Award in Poetry and the Land of Enchantment Picture Book Award.
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