Description An irreverent volume of versed fairy tales invites children to read each in its classic form and then to re-read the lines in a reversed order that gives the tales whimsical and modern twists.
Reviews Customer Booksource Brandi Meineke, Collection Development Specialist at Booksource Star Star Star Star Star 7/19/2012 11:31:57 AMMirror Mirror is an exceptionally clever book that will get students looking at poetry in a new way. This book is filled with a style of poems that the author has dubbed “reverso.” Typically poems are read top to bottom, but Marilyn Singer asked herself what would happen if they were read bottom to top. This book is the result of that inquiry. The only thing she allowed herself to alter is capitalization and punctuation. Here is a short example from the book: It may be such/ a fairy-take secret,/ this much/ I know:/ The road leads/ wherever/ you need to go./ You need to go/ wherever/ the road leads—/ I know/ this much./ A fairy-tale secret?/ It may be such./ The reverso poems in this title are all focused on fairy tales. Often the reverse of the poem gives an alternate perspective than the original one. Sleeping Beauty’s poem about waiting for the prince gets flipped to become a poem from the prince about his struggles to save her. Josée Masse’s illustrations are just as clever and intriguing as the poetry. Every illustration is divided in half with elements on either side carrying across the division. Each one beautifully accents the dual nature of the corresponding poem. Students will be inspired to try writing their own reversos. This is a great book for bringing some fresh air to a poetry unit. This book also pairs nicely with a fairy tale unit, but students will need some background knowledge of the original tales to fully comprehend the poems. The short nature of these also makes it a great choice for a quick read aloud and the intricate detail makes it enjoyable for independent reading. This book is a great choice for any elementary classroom. Icon Post Your Review