Mirror, Mirror

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse. Marilyn Singer. Illustrated by Josee Masse. 2010. Penguin. March 2010. 32 pages.

I loved this book of poetry! I did. If you like fairy tales, you should definitely pick this one up. Because this book of reversible poetry does a great job at twisting some familiar tales. Each poem can be read up and down. This is also a great collection for highlighting different points of view. So "In the Hood" tells Little Red Riding Hood's story when you read one way, but tells the Wolf's story the other way! That poem is without a doubt my favorite from this collection! Other fairy tales treated include Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Beauty and The Beast, Hansel and Gretel, The Ugly Duckling, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Bears. (Just to name a handful.)

Here is "Longing for Beauty"

A beast
can love
beauty.
A moist muzzle
can welcome
a rose.
A hairy ear
can prize
a nightingale singing.
Beneath fur,
look!
A soft heart
stirs,
longing.

Longing
stirs
a soft heart.
Look
beneath fur.
A nightingale singing
can prize
a hairy ear.
A rose
can welcome
a moist muzzle.
Beauty
can love
a Beast.

I really enjoyed the illustrations. They're bright, colorful, and engaging. (You can see examples of the art here. You can also read "In The Hood" there.)

Other reviews: A Year of Reading, Writing and Ruminating,

© Becky Laney of Young Readers