Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems by Marilyn SingerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mirror Mirror was a fast favorite for me, combining fairy tale retellings with reversible verse. Not all of the poems work 100% in this format, but when they do, they really do. Marilyn Singer turns well known fairy tales “upside down,” telling two sides of the same story. The “About” page at the end of the collection explains how to read each poem, and clues the reader in to the puzzles on each page. I’m sure this is a book for children, but I enjoyed & reread it so I could show others. Since the format is rather strict, the language of the poems is simple - they are easily understood, yet the concept and actual syntax of the lines are complex. The illustrations enhance the poems, helping readers to visualize each side of the story.
The poems featured in The Blacker the Berry “celebrate these many shades of black” with both lyrical words and vibrant illustrations. Joyce Carol Thomas is an expert in her field, and does the poems justice with rich imagery. The larger type, simple sentence structure, and full page illustrations make this collection accessible to younger readers, while adults (parents or teachers or storytellers) can also appreciate the deeper meanings of the poems as a whole. The scope of this collection is focused, and thrives in that focus. Each poem is written from the child’s point-of-view, and uses the imagery of berries and other breakfast-y items (coffee, biscuits) to strengthen the theme. Each illustration is unique to its accompanying poem, yet stays true to the style. The final illustration is powerful.
Dark Emperor is a poetry/nonfiction combination, where each poem’s subject is also explained scientifically on the opposite page, along with intricate relief prints. This is definitely a read aloud/together, and could be used in a classroom or for any child with an interest in woodland creatures - the illustrations, poems, and information give it several access points. Since the poems are “of the night,” they are written in dreamlike language, with lots of alliteration, repetition, and personification. The layered illustrations enrich the poetry, adding depth to the subjects.
Firefly July is a favorite poetry collection, for several reasons. First, its purpose: showing that all you need is a few short, yet intentional, lines to create a poem. Children are the intended audience based on the length of the poems, the simple concept of seasons, and the artwork, but the poems themselves weren’t necessarily written with children in mind, which makes them stand out even more, and highlights the fact that poetry can be accessible to all ages. The scope is wide in authors represented, but the seasonal theme keeps them focused and organized, so they connect to each other. I do wish there were author biographies beyond the acknowledgments. Because the poems have been collected, their language is varied, yet each one still fits neatly on the page. Finally, I also really enjoyed the illustrations and how they played with the poetry, drawing attention to certain details.
A year in poems, though focused in its perspective, is My Chinatown. This collection follows the year in the life of a child in a specific place, but could be appreciated by anyone in a new city or neighborhood. It’s scope is limited based on its subject and solo author. The poems have a conversational tone and are paired with beautiful realistic illustrations.
Aiming to show the universality of childhood, the 34 poems of Bronzeville Boys and Girls each feature the experiences and emotions of a different neighborhood child. Children reading this collection will appreciate finding themselves in the characters, while adults can reminisce about their own childhoods. Gwendolyn Brooks creates entire worlds in just a few lines, and it’s easy to picture the events of the poems. Faith Ringgold’s bold lines and colors add to the overall feel of the collection.
Older children (ages 8-12) are the intended audience for The Flag of Childhood, and that is apparent before reading - the book is smaller, with no illustrations. This collection hopes to instill a sense of empathy in the reader, an understanding of the universality of childhood, and of the power of words. While it’s meant for children, clearly there are some adults who could learn a thing or two from the poems inside. With over 50 poets represented, the scope is quite large, and the poetry varies in length and style. I appreciated that the poems are not “baby” versions of adult poems - they are full-fledged poems, on the subject of childhood.
Yes! We are Latinos combines poetry from different representations of Latinos with historical and sociopolitical background information. This collection aims to show the diversity among Latinos and invites readers to think about their own histories. Distinctions are made to show that “Latino” is a very broad description, and this collection does a fine job of shifting from detailed poetry to general nonfiction information. Alma Flor Ada is an award-winning children’s author, and her notes and bibliographic information highlight her expertise. While some children and/or families might appreciate this collection on its own, I’d pair it with other literature (poetry or not), and could see this being used in a classroom or storytelling setting where one poem/nonfiction topic is explored in more depth. The organization of the poems by these topics lends itself to reading them independent of each other. Many people were sourced for the composite children featured in each poem. The poems themselves have a prose-like quality, as all are voiced from the first person point-of-view.
Shel Silverstein’s poems and drawings are humorous, and meant to entertain. These poems were written to be read aloud, and I remember hearing a few of them during storytime. While children are clearly the intended audience, adults can also appreciate the humor and playfulness of the poetry, and are most likely to be the ones actually reading. The poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends all share the same author, but their forms vary, from rhyming couplets and singsong verses to shape poetry and free verse - though most of the poems do rhyme. The poems are arranged so that each one is of varying length, while also taking into account the illustrations, which are sometimes decorative, but also add meaning or context to the poems.
I was ready to love the found poems of The Arrow Finds Its Mark, since found poetry is my jam, and I believe in the poetry of the everyday. The introduction itself was enjoyable to read, and inspiring to any young poets. The poems, too, were fine. I had hoped the authors would show their work - a la Austin Kleon and his blackout poetry (https://austinkleon.com/newspaperblac...), or like Matthew James Kay’s literary collages (http://matthewjameskay.com/). The process of poetry is such an integral part of the enjoyment, much like source notes in traditional literature, and knowing how a poet goes from raw material to poem makes it even more meaningful. That being said, the organization of this collection was expert, with each poem linking to the next.
