When I was looking through the poetry shelves at the school's library this morning, I came across this beautifully illustrated book of "reverso" poems. Reverso poems are poems that you can read traditionally from top to bottom, then you can read them bottom to top, and they have two different meanings! This is an amazing book of poetry featuring poems about traditional fairy tales. Follow Follow will delight students and reluctant readers. There are other books in this series Mirror Mirror (fairy tales) and Echo Echo (greek myths).

A marvel to read over and over, this books celebrates story and your senses of sight and sound ... it's almost magical! These clever poems can be read from top to bottom with one meaning or REVERSE THEM (hence the label: reverso poem) and read bottom to top for an entirely new interpretation of the same words!

This is the second book in a three-part series of clever double-takes on well known fairy tales and mythology. Don't be surprised ... after reading, students are inspired to attempt their own reversos! ( )

This is the third book of “reverso” poems by author Marilyn Singer and I am glad for it. While not my favorite of the three, it is still so enjoyable. Probably my favorite poem looked at the story of the little mermaid in a poem titled “The Little Mermaid’s Choice” where one side is the mermaid longing to be on land no matter the cost, the second is the mermaid telling herself that a man is not worth giving up any part of herself. Too often the chastisement of women in fairy tales comes from an outside source, but to see this poem where the mermaid herself is making the point is really refreshing. In addition to this I loved the addition of a eastern fairy tale from Asia about a golden nightingale. I would love to see an entire book of reverse poems about fairy tales from other cultures. All in all a wonderful read and a book I hope to have in my classroom. ( )

This is the author’s 2nd book of “reverso” poems. She takes a fairy tale and writes a short poem; the poem is then presented in reverse to give a slightly different angle on the story – maybe another character’s POV, or the same character, but just a slightly different look at the story. The poem, in reverse, might have slightly different capitalization and punctuation, but the words and lines are the same, just in reverse.

Some of the fairy tales she represents in this one include The Princess and the Pea, The Little Mermaid, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Tortoise and the Hare, and more.

It’s really very clever and I loved the first book! This one is also very good, and it amazes me that she can come up with these! It’s presented very nicely in a picture book. The poems themselves are side-by-side – the poem, then its reverse, beside in a different colour. The pictures to go with are presented on the page beside, with two slightly different pictures side-by-side, representing each poem and its reverse. ( )

I can't say enough good things about Marilyn Singer and her reverso poems. So clever, so witty, so lyrical. And Josee Masee's illustrations are the perfect accompaniment in his soft, organic style.