Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems - Hardcover

Singer, Marilyn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0803737696 ISBN 13: 9780803737693

Publisher: Dial Books, 2013

Synopsis

Endlessly amazing, this brilliant picture book collection plays with language and fairy tales to create a celebration of sight, sound, and story.

"Genius!"–Wired.com

“Marilyn Singer's verse in Follow Follow practically dances down each page . . . the effect is miraculous and pithy.”–The Wall Street Journal

In this stunning follow-up to Mirror Mirror, more classic fairy tales are given clever new twists. Read these clever poems from top to bottom and they mean one thing. Then reverse the lines and read from bottom to top and they mean something else–it is almost like magic!

Matching the ingenuity of the text, gorgeous full-page illustrations show new dimensions and changed perspectives

About this title

About the Author

Marilyn Singer is an award-winning author of more than 90 children's books in a wide variety of genres.

Josée Masse is a recognized artist in her native Canada, having illustrated numerous French and American picture books.

Reviews

This companion to Mirror Mirror (2010) offers another fairytale-themed collection of free verse poems, each paired with its “reverso,” or the poem in reverse. For example, “The Little Mermaid’s Choice” begins “For love, / give up your voice. / Don’t / think twice,” and the accompanying reverso poem concludes with “Think twice! / Don’t / give up your voice / for love.” The punctuation often changes, as does the formatting, thereby offering up intriguing and inventive takes on each tale. Other reversos give varying perspectives, as in the case of “Ready, Steady, Go!,” which presents both the tortoise’s and the hare’s points of view. Beautifully rendered, richly hued illustrations artfully transition from depicting the first poem’s scenario to the second’s, and interweave fantastic and realistic details. Though the poems are eloquent and witty, they may be somewhat esoteric for younger kids and will resonate more with those familiar with the classic stories. An appended author’s note, however, includes summaries of the tales and further explicates Singer’s finely crafted, unique form. An enjoyable collection that may prompt kids to write their own reverso poems. Grades 2-5. --Shelle Rosenfeld

Edition details

• Publisher: Dial Books
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0803737696
• ISBN 13: 9780803737693
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Masse Josée
• Number of pages: 32