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Poetry Review: Mirror Mirror

1. Bibliographic-


Singer, Marilyn. Mirror Mirror. Ill. by Josee Masse. New York: Dutton Children’s
Books, 2010. ISBN 978-0-525-47901-7
2. Summary-
This is a collection of fairytale themed poems telling 2 sides to each story by reading the
poem top to bottom, then again bottom to top with a changed meaning. This style
has been deemed “reverso” poetry by the author Marilyn Singer.
Isn’t
This
A fairy tale?
A fairy tale
This
Isn’t…


3. Critical analysis-
In this collection, each facing poem tells a different side of the same story with alternating
text color and background color. Similarly split paint-like illustrations by Josee Masse show
the duality of the poems, and extra details are added to show the origin story the poems
are referring to.

 Short lines, sometimes only a single word, create a staccato rhythm to these short poems
that can change rhythm when read the opposite way. A few poems make use of end-sound
rhyme, but it is not forced and is not the focus of this unique type of poetry. Every word is
carefully chosen so that the poems have related meanings when read forward and backward--
it’s truly mind-boggling that they work so well.

 Metaphors and allusion to the longer fairy tale origin stories give hints to who the poems
are told by or are talking about. “In the Hood” refers to the story of Little Red Riding hood
through a poem by the little girl, and another by the wolf without ever referring directly to
either of them.

One of the best examples is “Do You Know My Name”, which refers to the
Rumpelstiltskin story, and it becomes clear that we never knew the straw-spinning
girl’s name. The poems reveal 2 sides to each tale, often from the villain's point of
view, and they are excellent in getting the reader to feel empathy for both characters.

This is a very fun collection of poems that will reveal deeper meaning to well known stories.
4. Awards and Review Excerpts-


ALA Notable Children’s Book
Horn Book Fanfare Best Book
Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2012
NCTE/CLA Notable Children’s Book
CCBC Choices
Cybils Award
“In the main, the poems are both cleverly constructed and insightful about their source
stories, giving us the points of view of characters rarely considered. Similarly bifurcated
illustrations, Shrek-bright, face the poems.”- Horn Book, 2010
“Masse's gorgeous, stylized illustrations enhance the themes of duality and perspective by
presenting images and landscapes that morph in delightful ways from one side of the page
to the other. A mesmerizing and seamless celebration of language, imagery and perspective.”
-Kirkus Review, 2010.
5. Connections-
-Another “reverso” book of poems by Marilyn Singer: Follow Follow


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