Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems

Singer and Masse's companion to Mirror Mirror (a PW Best Book in 2010) is just as inspired as its predecessor. Iconic fairy tale characters speak through poems that can be read backward and forward, resulting in drastically different meanings. Familiar rivals duke it out: "I can't be/ beat./ I've got rabbit feet to/ take me to the finish line," says the overconfident hare. "Take me to the finish line!/ I've got rabbit feet to/ beat./ I can't be/ the smallest bit distracted," maintains the tortoise. Elsewhere, the line "Behold his glorious majesty" conveys both vanity and incredulity in Singer's take on the Emperor's New Clothes. Cobalts, reds, and golds dominate Masse's textured acrylics, contributing suitably regal visuals for Singer's dizzyingly clever wordplay. Ages 6-up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Feb.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 3-6-- Follow Follow is a companion to Mirror Mirror (Dutton, 2010), Singer's first book of reverso poems in which she asks, "We read most poems down a page. But what if we read them up?" With just a few "changes allowed only in punctuation and capitalization," and reading the poem from bottom up, the adage "there are two sides to every story" is truly manifest. Masse's two-sided illustrations capture the changes in point of view, tone, and color. "No Bigger Than Your Thumb" presents a Thumbelina loath to consider marrying a mole since her dreams are "lofty and daring," far from "a sheltered life underground." She asks from the start, "Me/marry/ a mole?" The mole has the last word: "I am/a mole./Marry/ me." For the poem based on "The Little Mermaid," Masse makes the mermaid's conflict evident by presenting both of her selves, mermaid and young woman, entwined in the center of the page: her long hair is wrapped about the tail of her sea-self. The deep blues, greens, and tangerines dazzle. The poem begins: "For love, /give up your voice./Don't /think twice." And reverses: "Think twice!/Don't/give up your voice/for love." Singer's reversos present lyrical and evocative moments that will surprise and delight children and provide them with opportunities for critical discussion. With their shifts in diction and point of view, the poems and illustrations are ripe for visual and textual literacy exploration and performance.--Teresa Pfeifer, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Genius!" - Wired.com

"Singer and Masse's companion to Mirror Mirror is just as inspired as its predecessor." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Fun, thoughtful, beautifully written poems that employ a poetic form called a reverso to spin a familiar fairy tale in a new direction." - Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Singer's poetry begs to be read aloud as listeners savor Masse's accompanying illustrations. This is a must-have book for a library's poetry section as well as for any personal collection." - Library Media Connection, starred review

"This volume is one to savor." - Kirkus Reviews

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

"These are delightful to read and read aloud, and they're a curricular dream for discussions of poetry, folklore, and point of view." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Masse's two-sided illustrations capture the changes in point of view, tone, and color...Singer's reversos present lyrical and evocative moments that will surprise and delight children and provide them with opportunities for critical discussion." - School Library Journal

Follow Follow is one of Booklist's 30 Best Books of the Year, a Cybils Award finalist, and an IRA Teachers' Choices Reading List pick.