Mirror Mirror

Singer, M. (2010). Mirror Mirror. New York: Dutton.

Mirror Mirror is a book of reverso poems, which are poems that can be read down and up. The careful selection of words allows the poem to have two different meanings, depending on how they are read. All of the poems in this book are based on fairy tales. So in reading down one poem, we learn about the witch fattening up Hansel. But as we read up, we see how Gretel is trying to keep him alive. The poems cover Snow White, Red Riding Hood, the Frog Prince, Rapunzel, and Beauty and the Beast.

The skill that goes into writing poetry like this is amazing. I cannot imagine the time it takes to make sure that each word works forwards and backwards. I have shared this book with my students before during poetry units. They loved reading them and several have tried to emulate them. But they too, struggled with making it work.