MIRROR, MIRROR - Marilyn Singer

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