Echo Echo: Reverso Poems About Greek Myths: Poetry Review
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Singer Marilyn. Echo
Echo: Reverso Poems About Greek Myths. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young
Readers. ISBN-13: 978-0-8037-3992-5
Masse, Josee. Echo
Echo: Reverso Poems About Greek Myths. Marilyn Singer. New York, NY: Dial
Books for Young Readers. ISBN-13: 978-0-8037-3992-5
SUMMARY/ANALYSIS
After reading this picture book filled with poems based off
of mythological tales, all I could say was “WOW!”. This whole book collection
is created in such a way that each of the 14 poems can be read backwards and forwards,
presenting Greek mythology in two different ways. Poet and author Marilyn Singer
does an absolutely amazing job of creating poems that can be read both forward
and backwards, presenting different perspectives according to which direction
the poem is read. Each poem follows a traditional Greek myth, half of the page
containing the poem to be read top to bottom, and the other half containing the
same exact poem read in reverse (as if reading from bottom to top), or “reverso”
so to speak. The poems do not flow in a necessarily normal rhyme scheme,
instead having rhyming words here and there in the poems (as I am sure it is
near impossible to write poetry that can be read two ways that rhymes
perfectly). These poems also do not have a natural flow and are not as easy to
follow as some other poems, but they are beautifully worded and thought out, appropriate
punctuation placement implemented to emphasize feelings and where to take pause
while reading. Though well-written, these poems are not the easiest to follow
and navigate for understanding, and may be difficult for young children. These
would be perfect to read in a class of fifth graders or older, and definitely poetry
worth reading together aloud as a class, taking time to highlight important words
and reflect on the stories the poems and reverso poems share.
Each set of poem/reverso poem is attached to a page showing
colorful and expressive illustrations created by Josee Masse. Similar to the
construction of how each poem is written on one side of the page to be read top
to bottom, and the other half in reverse, the images created are also done in
the same manner. One side of the page is illustrated to go with the first poem
part, and the second half of the illustration goes with the reverso poem,
reflecting both unique perspectives and stories. This can be seen in the poem
set called “King Midas and His Daughter”. One side of the poem speaks of how
unfeeling King Midas is towards his daughter from her perspective, never
offering her comfort, love, or even a small caress to show he cares. This is
matched with an illustration showing the young daughter with a sad look upon
her face, the whole background in gold with just the shadow of her father in
the background. The reverso poem shows King Midas’s perspective where he is
saddened by his gold little girl, having condemned her to life as a golden
statue due to his touch. The image paired with this poem shows King Midas shocked
as he looks upon his golden little girl.
Each poem set and image follows this same pattern, half of
the illustration fitting with one poem perspective and the other half of the
illustration going with the opposite or reverso poem perspective. This makes
for an interesting read and would be great for more in depth discussions.
POEM PLUS “TAKE 5” ACTIVITIES
A perfect example of flawlessly paired artistry and poetry
can be seen with the “Gods and Mortals” poem and associated illustration. One of
the poems tells of how myths help to make sense of the world and how the ignite
our imaginations, whereas the other half speaks of how the world uses their
imaginations to digest and make sense of these myths. They are paired with brightly
colored illustrations of mythological animals, being, and human children
walking amongst land together. Read the poem below to dive into two sides of a
story!
Gods
and Mortals
By Marilyn Singer
(This was a difficult poem/reverse poem to format, so
please see image of the actual poem in the book below)
Take 5
Activities
1. Read
the poem aloud to the group, telling them to focus on what they know of Greek
gods, mortals, and myths.
2. Reread
the poem to the group, this time encouraging the audience to reflect on the words
in the poems. What about the illustration that is paired with the poem stands
out? Does it reflect the words within the poem?
3. Reflect
on the poem together and discuss what Greek myths the group is already familiar
with. Have them share out loud with the rest of the group what they know about
Greek myths, heroes, gods, and mortals.
4. Link
this poem to the picture book Greek Myths
for Young Children by Heather Amery (Usborn Pub Ltd, 2009), and talk about
how the book relates to the poem.
5. Link
this poem to another similar poem called “Mythology’s Lore” by Thom Phoenix (All
Poetry, https://allpoetry.com/poems/about/greek-mythology).
How does this poem compare to the “Gods and Mortals” poem? What is it saying
about mythology? Do you feel the same way? Why/why not?
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