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Bibliographic Citation
Title: Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse
Author: Marilyn Singer
Illustrator: Josee Masse
Year of Publication: 2010
Publisher City: New York
Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780525479017
Author Website: www.marilynsinger.net
Illustrator Website: www.joseemasse.com
Media Used for Artwork: Acrylic Paint
Copyright 2010/2011
My Top 10 Favorite Picturebooks for Older Readers
Awards
· American Library Association’s Notable Children’s Book, 2011
· Cybil Award in Poetry
· New York Public Library Best 100 Children’s Books, 2010
· Publishers Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2010
· Washington Post’s Top 15 Children’s Books of 2010
Annotation
We are always taught that there are two sides to a story. This picture book is a series of poems that brings to light the different perspectives from famous fairy tales that any reader will know and enjoy.
Personal Reaction
The style of poems, referred to as reverso poems by Singer, are very amusing. Retelling classic tales are always entertaining to read. It is a great way to show how there are always several points of views in any story. The fact that the poems are based off well known fairy tales allows readers to see the famous characters in a new life. My favorite poem duo in the book is “Longing for Beauty,” which tells the story of “Beauty and the Beast” from both the Beast’s and Beauty’s perspective. Rewriting popular stories from another perspective is very trendy. Take for example, “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire, which is written from the Wicked Witches point of view. In fact, anything written by Maguire is a good example of this. So Singer’s book can be a good starting off point to introduced older readers to these types of stories.
The illustrations also take on the reverso quality of the poems. Each drawing is split down the middle showing scenes from every fairy tale from different points of views. Yet they are also connected together showing that they are the same story. Take for example, the illustration from “Mirror Mirror.” On one side Snow White is taking care of the dwarves in the forest and the other the Evil Queen prepares the take her revenge. What connects these different pictures together is how the trees on Snow White’s illustration lines up with the old woman persona that the Evil Queen takes on, on the other side.
Use of Repetition: Each poem is the same poem that is first told from top to bottom, then flipped and retold from bottom to top.
Example: “Longing for Beauty”
1st Poem 2nd Poem
A beast Longing
can love stirs
beauty. a soft heart.
A moist muzzle Look
can welcome beneath fur.
a rose. A nightingale singing,
A hairy ear can prize
can prize a hairy ear.
a nightingale, singing. A rose
Beneath fur, can welcome
look! a moist muzzle.
A soft heart Beauty
stirs, can love
longing. a Beast.
Curriculum: Grade 6- English: As stated by Singer in the back of the book, people should try writing a reverso poem. This can be a good challenge for students to figure out how to write in two points of view using the same words. It will require them to develop their vocabulary as well as their writing skills.
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