Mirror Mirror

Bibliography
Singer, Marilyn. 2010. Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse. Ill. by Josée Masse. New York, N.Y.: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN 9780525479017

Plot Summary

Mirror, Mirror is a collection of fourteen fairy tales that tell both sides of the story. In each tale, written as a reverso, the same words are reversed bottom to top to tell a different, often opposite, perspective; Singer does an impressive job in distilling the whole fairy tale into short phrases that can be read top down then from the bottom up for a new meaning. For example, Little Red Riding Hood tells of both the glee of a girl finding berries along her path and the wolf finding a girl to eat: “picking berries to eat / juicy and sweet / what a treat!” vs the wolf “But a girl! / What a treat / juicy and sweet / picking berries to eat.”

Critical Analysis

This is a very witty use of language through the reverso format that really makes the reader think. In addition to the reversal of the story, Singer notably maintains the meter. Singer describes Goldilocks as, “Asleep in cub’s bed / Blonde / startled by / Bears, / the headline read.” Running down the page side-by-side with this poem is a second poem which ends with: “Next day / the headline read: / Bears startled / by blonde / asleep in cub’s bed.” The arrangement of the lines and verses create a unique and fun read. Each poem is a little different in how the rhyming fits together. In this limited format, some words fit together better than others; sometimes the phrasing feels a little forced. Due to this, I would recommend this for a slightly older audience who already have some basic poetry mechanics. It is also important that they are familiar with the original stories to help identify the voice in each story.

The illustrations are beautifully done to support the collection of fairy tales. The illustrated left page is split down the middle yet still blends the story around the edges. Masse is very clever in his use of reflections to tell the opposite side of the story.  The illustrations greatly add to the text. The right page represents the text of both sides of the story separated by different shades of color.  To maintain the reverso format, the text is often written in simple language.  This allows the illustrations to be a key component of this work. 

This is a delightful set of poems with a solid organization and design. It is very easy to navigate the book, and the illustrations are entrancing. There are fourteen fairy tales included, so this allows for good coverage of popular fairy tales. This is bound to be very appealing to many different ages of reader. Additionally, this book could be used for either a poetry unit or a fairy tale unit.

Personally, I found this book a little hard to read at times because, as the author describes it, it is like a puzzle. The rhyming and phrasing change for each poem. Each line is short and each block of text is also short, so I often reread each poem twice to get a better feel for the rhythm. However, as mentioned before, the witty poems and engaging illustrations are very captivating. Many adults have picked it up and not been able to put it down.

Review Excerpts

This book is a(n):

  -  ALA Notable Book

  -  New York Times Best Children’s Book

  -  Washington Post Top 15 Children’s Book

  -  Booklist starred review and editors choice

  -  Kirkus Reviews starred review

  -  Horn Book starred review and Fanfare Book

Kirkus Review

“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.” 

School Library Journal

“This appealing collection based on fairy tales is a marvel to read. It is particularly noteworthy because the poems are read in two ways: up and down. They are reverse images of themselves and work equally well in both directions. The vibrant artwork is painterly yet unfussy and offers hints to the characters who are narrating the poems. This is a remarkably clever and versatile book that would work in any poetry or fairy-tale unit.” 

Booklist

“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—Cinderella’s clock on one side morphs to the moon on the other. A must-purchase that will have readers marveling over a visual and verbal feast.” 

Connections (related books, activities, children’s responses)

  -  This book lends itself to being read by a pair of students.

  -  The Author encourages the reader to create a reverso of their own because it is “both challenging 

     and fun – rather like creating and solving a puzzle.”

  -  The students can take a historical event and make reverso poetry about each side and then create 

     supporting illustrations.  For example, the battle for the Alamo or a tall tale or legend from another 

     culture.

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night

Bibliography
Sidman, Joyce. 2010. Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night. Ill. by Rick Allen. Boston [Mass.]: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010. ISBN 9780547152288

Plot Summary 

This collection of poetry is an exploration of the night and the creatures that live there. The book opens to  two full pages of a forest scene with an owl in flight at dusk and the moon rising. Each poem in the book has a focus on one animal or object in the forest, like an owl or a tree. The poem is then coupled with a textbook-like passage about that animal or plant that goes into more detail about its habits. After going through nine animals, a tree, a mushroom, and the moon, the book closes with two full pages of the original scene that has cycled into the transformation of the moon setting and the sun rising. 

Critical Analysis

This book of poetry is full of vivid, sensory words about the night. They create a strong mental picture; you feel you can reach out and touch it. For example, ”Come feel the cool and shadowed breeze, / come smell your way among the trees, / come touch rough bark and leathered leaves: / Welcome to the night.” Sidman also uses onomatopoeia to introduce the animals in the book. For example, “To all of you who crawl and creep / who buzz and chirp and hoot and peep.” 

The language is supported by very detailed drawings of scenes from nature that include the animal of focus. Different fonts and colors of text would have added to the illustrations. Although the language is very colorful, this book of poetry did not evoke a lot of emotion. It seems to portray the varied life in a forest in more of a factual manner than emotional. It might be tough to get students engaged if they do not already have an interest in the forest. 

Each poem has its own rhythm and rhyme to match the personality of the animal. The description of the primrose moth uses short words and phrasing with no rhyming. Sidman also uses the repeated word “primrose” in the poem that gives a feeling of the moth’s obsession. On the other hand, the oak tree has long, slow, rhyming passages. The poems are written in first person and third person. For example, the poem about the owl is described by a mouse watching from below. 

A bonus feature of this poetry book is a short glossary at the end.

Review Excerpts

This book is a:

  -  Newbery Honor Book

  -  Bookist starred review

  -  Publishers Weekly starred review

School Library Journal

“As in her other collections, each selection is set in an expansive spread that includes a factual discussion of the featured subject. The illustrations are bold, richly detailed linoleum prints colored in gouache.”

Boolist

“Like Sidman's Caldecott Honor Book, Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (2005), this picture book combines lyrical poetry and compelling art with science concepts.”

Connections

-  This book is ideal to use with a science lesson on environment, habitat, species, conservation, or other 
    lessons on nature..

-  This collection of poems could be used in an evening program at a nature conservancy or park. 
-  Another option is transform a classroom into an evening space with dimmed lights and a recording of
    nighttime forest sounds.

-  Other nature books by Sidman:
          Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. ISBN 9780618135479

          Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow. ISBN 9780618563135

Hurricane Dancers

Bibliography
Engle, Margarita. 2011. Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck. New York: Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 9780805092400

Plot Summary

Hurricane Dancers is a fictional verse novel set in Cuba during the Spanish expeditions to the New World. The story revolves around Quebrado, a boy-slave who is half Spanish and half Indian, a mean pirate captain (Bernadino de Talavera), and the cruel conquistador turned captive of the pirate captain (Alonzo de Ojeda). They begin on a ship that soon sinks during a hurricane. Quebrado is rescued by Naridó, a young Indian fisherman. Naridó takes Quebrado to meet his tribe and the chieftan’s daughter,  Caucubú. She longs to marry Naridó instead of having an arranged marriage. Eventually both Talavera and Ojeda find their way to the village where they pose a threat. Ultimately, Talavera, Ojeda, and Quebrado are banished by the tribe. Quebrado helps Naridó and Caucubú run away together to escape the arranged marriage and he embraces total freedom for the first time. Eventually, Naridó, Caucubú, and Quebrado return and are welcomed by the tribe. 

Critical Analysis

This book had a lot of adventure, drama, and exploration. This book was also very emotional. It contained three plot lines, including a story of love and longing between Naridó and Caucubú; oppression, loss, and rebirth for Quebrado; and glory and cruelty for Talavera and Ojeda. It is an engaging book. Engle does an excellent job of using strong figurative language to immediately set the scene out at sea. One can almost feel the salt air and wind on one’s face. However, the illustrations are almost nonexistent. There is only one black and while illustration of a palm tree at the beginning of each chapter to support the text. The cover shows a Spanish ship in a blustery wind near land.

The use of poetic verse allows the story to be told in a way that would not be possible with normal prose. The organization of the book is unique because each stanza is labeled at the top with the person’s name who is speaking. This helps to identify the changing perspectives because there is no direct dialogue except people’s internal thoughts and reflections. The passive voice is used often. Each person usually “speaks” for only two to four stanzas. 

Even though this book is written in a poetic narrative, it is still very accessible. Engle uses a lot of figurative language in the free verse, especially in the use of simile and personification of the ship and the land. Also, because this is written as a verse novel, the pacing is slowed. Engle also uses the poetic structure of the book to highlight the different layers and to place emphasis on the last line of the stanza. For example, “wild men who beat me / and taught me how to sail, / and how to lose hope.” These lines lay the foundation to understand Quebrado’s recent past and his current reality. Most of the lines in the stanza are shorter, but it does not hinder the flow of the narrative. 

This story is also about setting Quebrado free in a way he never knew was available to him. He learns that “hope is stronger than fear.” Once the pirate and conquistador find the Indian village, the author juxtaposes their need for wealth and their fear of their natives with Quebrado’s need to have peace and to live respectfully off the land with the naturales. Ojeda is constantly speaking about being plagued by ghosts, but he still wants to “[sell] the islanders / as curiosities / at market fairs / in Sevilla.” He clearly continues to be selfish, cruel, and out for glory. The lines in this stanza create a dark reflection.

I enjoyed reading this book. This poetic verse form was novel and was a fresh way to tell a story. I also really enjoyed that it was an accurate historical narrative. Engle obviously spent a lot of time researching the topic. This was apparent in the additional features such as a description of the cast of characters, historical notes, and references. 

Review Excerpts

This book is a:

  -  Pura Belpré Honor Book

  -  Booklist starred review

Kirkus

“Engle continues to explore issues of captivity and freedom in the historical setting of her ancestors…Taken individually the stories are slight, but they work together elegantly; the notes and back matter make this a great choice for classroom use.” 

Booklist

“Once again, Engle fictionalizes historical fact in a powerful, original story.”

Horn Book

“Like intersecting rip tides, several first-person narratives converge in this verse novel of the sixteenth century.”

Connections

-  This book would be easily adapted into a dynamic skit.

-  This would be a beneficial supplement to a unit on Conquistadors or exploring the New World.