Book Review: Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible VerseBook Review: Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer
Guest Review by Joy Henshaw

This book grabbed my attention with a gorgeous illustration on the front.  As we took it home from the library and began to explore, we knew we had found a treasure.  Ms. Singer gives us a fun collection of ‘reverso’ poetry.  A reverse poem is one that can be read from top to bottom AND bottom to top (line by line).  With a few changes of punctuation, the poet tells the fairy tale from two different sides.  Here is an example of the first reverso poem she wrote:

A cat
without
a chair:
Incomplete.

Incomplete:
A chair
without
a cat.

Such a fun form of poetry and great for early readers to pick up on the pattern.  My girls also loved the illustrations by Josée Masse; so detailed, vibrant and imaginative.  If you can find it on your library shelf, be sure to pick it up!
 

***PS. Mirror Mirror was the CYBILS award winner in the Poetry Category this year!***

3 comments:

  1. That reverso poem gives you a great opportunity to teach young (or older) kids about how chiasmus works in the Book of Mormon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Me again. I was just looking through your books and I didn't see Enchantment by Orson Scott Card. Perhaps you just didn't like it, but in case you haven't read it yet, please do! It's the smartest fairytale retelling I've ever read.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the recommendation! I've actually never heard of Enchantment, but I ordered it today from Amazon. It looks right up my alley.

    ReplyDelete