Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse
Marilyn Singer

Singer, Marilyn. 2010. Illustrated by Josee Masse. Mirror Mirror: A book of reversible verse. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN: 9780525479017.

Two sides of a story in one poem? Impossible? Not for Marilyn Singer, who earned a starred review in Booklist for her book of poems, Mirror, Mirror. This book of poetry is known as reverso, which is a type of poetry created by the author. The basic concept is reading a poem down one way and then the same poem up the opposite way. This is a creative way to tell a story and much harder than it looks. The poems in this topical collection are all based on fairy tales, from The Ugly Duckling to Beauty and the Beast. Oftentimes, the poems will have one character narrating the original poem and another character narrating the reverse. Most children reading these poems will recognize all of their favorite Grimm or Disney fairy tales.

This is not the typical poetry book when it comes to characteristics such as rhyme and rhythm. Some of the poems make use of rhyming but it is not the strength of the poetry. The strength comes in the language. To make this book of poetry work, the words have to be chosen carefully to ensure that the poem will make sense when read both directions. The arrangement of the words and how they are arranged on the page will make all the difference when being read. These poems are definitely meant to be read out loud and several times at least in order to catch the nuances the poet uses to make the poems meaningful and clear.

This book of poetry is laid out in the typical picture book format of 32 pages with illustrations. It does follow the format of one poem per page and the illustrations are bright and help guide the reader to which fairy tale is being written about if they are unsure just based on the poem itself. The illustrations also mimic the reverse idea of the poem, with the page split between two illustrations of the same picture.

In order to better understand the type of poetry written in this book, here is an example of a poem that the author uses to explain her poetry:
First way:
A cat
Without
A chair:
Incomplete.
Second way:
Incomplete:
A chair
Without
Cat.
(Singer, 2010)

Since a majority of the poems might be familiar to the reader, the emotions can be predetermined. Most readers will have a grasp on the characters and have already made up their minds as to who their favorites are. This is great, because it will make them see some of them in a new light as the poems are read. Adults and children alike will love this type of poetry. It is creative, genius, fun, carefree, and familiar.

From School Library Journal
“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

From Booklist
“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.” --Patricia Austin

Marilyn Singer has many other books of poetry (and non-poetry) that young (and adult) readers might enjoy: Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom, Central Heating: Poems About Fire and Warmth, and How to Cross a Pond: Poems About Water.

The poems in this book scream for classroom activity. Having children try to write their own reverso poems would be a fun activity that could span many different subjects in the classroom.