Did you look in the mirror this morning? Mirrors are funny.
They show us a reversed image of ourselves. This book, Mirror Mirror, is all about reversals in fairy tales, a really fun
topic, because reversals are everywhere in fairy tales: the poor, abused girl
becomes the rich, beloved princess; the ugly duckling becomes the beautiful
swan; the old crone becomes the young girl. There are reversals of appearance,
of reality, and of good/evil.
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| "In the Hood," a reverso poem |
But what if you made a poem, called a reverso, about this?
Reversos are deceptively simple. I’m going to read you my favorite one. [Read your favorite reverso to the kids while
showing them the accompanying picture: I like “In the Hood”]
[While explaining the
reverso format, turn the pages so they can see others…] A reverso poem is
like a puzzle: you read it, going down, as you would normally read. If you then
took them bottom lines and put them at the top, reversing the order, you’re
using exactly the same words but somehow, mysteriously, the meaning changes.
Look carefully or you’ll miss it.
Mirror Mirror: A Book
of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josee Masse. Dutton
Children’s Books: 2010. Booktalk to elementary (I would use it for 1st
through 5th). Virginia Readers’ Choice, 2012-2013.
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