Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

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.

A Pride of African Tales

Written by: Donna L. Washington

Illustrated by: James Ransome

          A Pride of African Tales is a collection of six tales of varying types from different regions in Africa that draw on the oral tradition of storytelling.  Each story is briefly introduced with the title, type of tale, where it is from (demonstrated on a map), and the main message/moral.  The six tales within this collection are "Anansi's Fishing Expedition" (a trickster tale from Ghana), "The Boy Who Wanted the Moon" (a pourquoi- story of how things came to be- from the Congo), "Shansa Mutongo Shima" (a cautionary tale from the Democratic Republic of the Congo), "The Roof of Leaves" (a tale of anger and forgiveness based on a real occurrence in the Congo), "The Wedding Basket" (a taboo story from Nigeria), and "The Talking Skull" (a fable from Cameroon).

          When working on this collection, Washington states that she "consulted as many written and oral sources as she could find" to increase the authenticity of the text (front book flap).  Throughout the book, she weaves the common thread of storytelling, allowing the various stories to come together for one purpose: to encourage oral storytelling.  In her Introduction, Washington even encourages readers to participate in and add their own flair to different stories through communication. "Stories are meant to be told.  Please accept my invitation to tell these stories. That is why they exist!" (p. ix).

           At the end of the work, Washington includes a section of "Story Notes and Further Reading" to describe her process in compiling information for each story presented, which serves to increase her authenticity.  For example, in the notes on "The Wedding Basket," she states that the original source is unknown because she has "never seen it in print before," because of the cultural emphasis on oral tradition (p. 70).  While this story has an unclear written history, most of the other stories have more documented history for Washington to draw upon in compiling her own version of the tales.

          Each tale focuses on different morals, many of which occur across cultures, such as the ideas of thinking before you speak, not judging a book by it's cover, forgiveness, and respect.  However, some of the morals, such as the emphasis on quick thinking in "The Roof of Leaves," are more unique.  Despite the various elements of each story, I appreciated the larger emphasis on the importance of sharing these values through storytelling throughout the book.  I think this point is powerfully stated at the end of "The Wedding Basket" when the rich man learns valuable lessons and shares them so they "were not lost on his children.  They passed them down to their children.  Now I am passing them on to you" (p. 57).  I love this quotation because I believe it demonstrates the power of Washington to pull readers into this rich tradition of oral storytelling!

           Ransome's skillful watercolor illustrations also work to draw readers in and add interest to this collection.  Ransome utilizes warm, vibrant colors to bring life to various characters, traditional clothing, and the landscape through various full-bleed illustrations.  He performed extensive research in attempts to accurately depict the various African settings in each story (taken from the illustrator information on the back cover flap), which adds significant authenticity to the work.  The full-bleed illustrations scattered throughout each story mesmerize readers and draw them into the text.  Even on the pages of mostly text surrounded by white background, Ransome adds small illustration details, which often look like strips of patterned textiles or plants, keep readers engaged.  Also, various maps of Africa are present to pinpoint the locations of each story's focus allow readers to become aware of the geographical implications of various settings.

          As Washington is a professional storyteller, actress, and author (stated on the back flap), I believe that this collection of tales cannot be fully appreciated and experienced unless read aloud.  Her language throughout each tale begs to be shared with others in a communal learning experience.  I think this book would make a good introduction to African folktales because it provides a brief introduction to six different types of tales, which allows readers to determine which ones they like best for further exploration.

Additional Resources:

General website on African Folktales (and others around the world)

Another version of "Anansi's Fishing Experience"