1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Singer, Marilyn. 2010. Mirror, Mirror.
Ill. by Josée Masse. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 978-0-525-47901-7
2. PLOT
SUMMARY
Mirror, Mirror is a collection of
poems retelling fairy tales. Mirrors give reflections, and these poems are no
exception. Marilyn Singer explains at the end of the book that she created a
new poetic form she calls a reverso. Each
spread in the book gives two poems about the same fairy tale. The two poems are
the same with the lines written in reverse order. Reading the poem in on order gives
a traditional interpretation of the fairy tale, reading the opposite order portrays
a point of view not usually heard: how hard it is to be the prince, how unfair
the ball is for the stepsisters, hope from the ugly duckling.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Fairy tales are popular, which gives great appeal to this collection. The fairy
tales Singer has selected will be widely recognized by children. The success of
these poems depends on children having an understanding of the original story
to provide context, because the poems only give a glimpse into an essential scene
or theme. If children are not well-versed in these fairy tales, it would be
advantageous to become acquainted with them first. Reading the poems out loud
makes a tremendous difference in hearing contrasts in phrasing, inflection, and
tone of voice between the poems in the pair. Some pairs flow equally well in
both directions, while others feel more contrived.
Singer’s poems are free verse. In most poems, the rhymes are
incidental than following a set rhyme scheme. She does not incorporate
onomatopoeias or repeated sounds. Their rhythm follows the natural cadence of
speech instead of a predictable number of syllables or stress patterns. Lines
are broken to allow grouping of lines into different sentences by changing the
placement of punctuation. By changing how verses relate to each other, Singer
pushes the reader to hear something new. Some phrases are set on their own to
make them stand out. The differences in perspective between the paired poems
can create distinct images with the same words. Part of the interest comes out
of the juxtaposition of the poems. The unexpected point of view by itself may
not have the same impact without the associated contrast. It is possible that
she could have created poems with greater use of poetic elements or stronger
emotional impact if she had not constrained herself to reverso poems. She added
technical difficulty points for maintaining the form, but may have lost some
artistic quality because of its inflexibility.
Each page is divided in half vertically, with one title for
each pair of poems. Titles and first letters are set in a font with a fairy tale
feel. The poems are printed in different color ink. The opposite page is a pair
of illustrations that each represent one poem. The illustrations match up in
the middle, and many have elements that cross over onto the opposite half,
either as they are, as an opposite, or transformed into something different
with the same outline. The split illustrations heighten the juxtaposition of
the poems but also bring a unity to them. On one hand, they are so different,
but on the other, they are so similar. Several of the illustrations accentuate
the distinction by using cool colors on one side and warm colors on the other.
The colors are bright, and fairy tale characters show their emotions: wistful,
frightened, surprised.
Mirror, Mirror
opens with a poem explaining that reading poems in reverse order will cause you
to reexamine your preset notions about the stories, and concludes with a pair
encouraging you to be willing to follow an unexpected path. Sometimes that’s
where the magic is.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS
Publishers Weekly Best Children's
Books: Picture Books, 2010
New York Public Library Children's Books, 2010
Language Arts notable poetry, 2010
Horn Book Fanfare, 2010
Booklist Editor's Choice: Books for
Youth, 2010
ALA ALSC Notable Children's Books, 2011
Kirkus Best
Children's Books, 2010
Texas Bluebonnet Book Award Nominee, 2012
H. W. Wilson Children’s
Core Collection Most Highly Recommended level
Language Arts: “This collection is sure to
please students young and old!”
Bulletin of the
Center for Children's Books: “. . . the result is neatly, astonishingly
clever . . . Kids will want to try the
form out, if only to find out how tough it really is, and the poems will make a
worthy addition to discussions of viewpoint and folklore.”
School Library Journal: “This
appealing collection based on fairy tales is a marvel to read . . . This is a
remarkably clever and versatile book that would work in any poetry or
fairy-tale unit. A must-have for any library.”
BookList: “This ingenious book
of reversos . . . toys with and reinvents oh-so-familiar stories and
characters, from Cinderella to the Ugly Duckling . . . 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 . . . A must-purchase that will have readers
marveling over a visual and verbal feast.”
Kirkus: “A collection of masterful
fairy-tale–inspired reversos . . . 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.”
5.
CONNECTIONS
-
Encourage students to make predictions about what will
be contrasted in the poems by looking first at just the illustration or
illustration and poem title.
-
Students can select a different fairy tale or different
pairing to write poems from different points of view. If they want to increase
the difficulty, they can try writing them in the reverso form.
-
Students can explore other poems of juxtaposition, like
the antonym diamante, where the beginning of the poem shows one side, the middle line
is a transition, and the end of the poem shows the opposite. For more
information, visit http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-a-diamante-poem/
-
Students can compare Mirror, Mirror to other poetry by Marilyn Singer to see if they see
any similarities in style.
Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom, ISBN 978-0375867101
Every Day’s a Dog’s Day, ISBN 978-0803737150
A Stick Is an Excellent Thing, ISBN 978-0547124933
How to Cross a Pond: Poems About Water, ISBN 978-0375823763
First
Food Fight This Fall and Other Poems About School, ISBN 978-1402741456
-
Explore other poetry with fairy tale themes:
Yolen, Jane, and
Dotlich, Rebecca Kai. Grumbles
from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist. ISBN 978-1590788677
And especially the 2013 sequel to Mirror, Mirror from Marilyn Singer and Josée Masse: Follow,
Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems. ISBN 978-0-8037-3769-3
