Review by Booklist Review
Singer's delightful third reverso poetry collection (after Mirror Mirror, 2010, and Follow Follow, 2013) here focuses on classic Greek myths. From the stories of Arachne and Athena to Pandora and Zeus and others, her intricately crafted, paired reverso poems, one for each featured character, lyrically lend differing perspectives and depth to the tales. For example, in Eurydice and Orpheus, Orpheus, having rescued true-love Eurydice from Hades, concludes hopefully A second chance at romance is what lies ahead / not / our final farewell while Eurydice's poem opens less certainly Our final farewell, / not / a second chance at romance is what lies ahead. Enchanting, lushly hued, split-panel illustrations portray the characters and scenarios in harmonious yet distinct artwork, reflecting the different viewpoints and story elements. Though the poems may have more dimension for readers already familiar with the myths, a footnote on each spread offers a brief abstract. Singer's endnote provides background on Greek mythology, her reverso poems, and sources for the myths. A wonderful addition to poetry collections and accompaniment for the myths.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Arachne, Icarus, Midas, and-as the title suggests-Narcissus are among the renowned Greek figures who feature in Singer and Masse's third collection of "reverso" poems, which are intended to be read both forward and backward. "Wondrous!/ How/ life-/like!/ There is nothing in this world/ so perfect," says Pygmalion of his statue, Galatea. "There is nothing in this world/ like/ life!" reads Galatea's accompanying poem. "How/ wondrous!" Masse's acrylics, dominated by rich colors and vertical symmetries, evoke weathered frescoes. The Minotaur appears prominently beside the poems for Theseus and Ariadne, half of its head transformed into a winding maze of golden thread, while the image paired with poems for Demeter and Persephone is divided into seasonal quadrants. Details about the myths appear across the bottom of the pages, further boosting the utility of another inventive exploration of stories readers thought they knew. Ages 6-9. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-A brilliant practitioner of the eponymous poetic form conveys both the drama and pathos of myths that have entertained throughout the ages, while establishing that there are two sides to every story. Full-page artwork, bathed in dazzling blue and gold tones, sets the stage for these timeless tales of gods and mortals told with a poignant and commanding lyricism. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Poetic portraits of well-known figures from Greek mythology. Picking up where they left off with their "reverso" renderings of classic fairy tales (Follow Follow: A Book of Reversos, 2013, etc.), poet Singer and illustrator Masse take on Greek myth, choosing some of the most famous legends to explore from multiple perspectives. In 2010, Singer created the provocative reverso form, in whichnot unlike an extended palindromea lyric poem presents a portrait and then recasts it backward, line by line, in a companion poem. The complicated fates of the dozen mythic figures portrayed here, among them Arachne, Midas, Demeter, and Persephone, lend themselves particularly well to this reflective form, and Masse's gorgeous acrylics, richly stylized in blues and gold, effectively capture the dualistic nature of the reverso form. Here, curious Pandora, forever blamed for unleashing untold evils into the world when she "opened that darn box," gets a sympathetic reprieve when the story flips: "She let loose those evils, / but / she didn't collect them. / She gets the blame. / No matter that / it might have been great Zeus's game." The myth of "Eurydice and Orpheus," though, again hinging on succumbing to desire, here relies rather too heavily on the narrative note at the bottom of the page to convey the tragic plot to young readers. In all, though, a visual and interpretive feast bringing timeless tales to a young audience. (Picture book/poetry. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
