Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems

by Marilyn Singer
illustrated by Josee Mazze

image by Barnes & Noble

Singer, Marilyn, and Josee Masse. Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems. Ill. Josee Mazze. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-8037-3769-3.

Poetic Elements

In this delightful collection of reverso poems, the second poem reverses the lines and is read in reverse with only changes in punctuation and capitalization.  This clever play of language changes the meaning of the original poem, giving the stories a new perspective and dimension. For example, “Ready, Steady, Go!” begins “That ridiculous loser!/I am not/a slowpoke./Though…” and the accompanying reverse poem concludes with “Though I may be/ a slowpoke,/ I am not/ that ridiculous loser,” presenting both the tortoise’s and the hare’s point of view.

Appeal

Young people will love the humor in these reverso poems and may remember these familiar tales being read to them as a child. Singer’s witty play with language and fairy tales in this collection will extend and enrich the reader’s knowledge and imagination. I believe it will also challenge readers to expand their linguistic abilities and encourage them to try their own hand at reverso poetry.

Overall Quality

For those who loved Mirror Mirror, this second collection of Singer’s reverso poems will not disappoint, as it is equally as brilliant. Follow Follow is compatible with the first collection and reinforces the creative and entertaining form of reverso poetry Singer first created with Mirror Mirror. It’s humorous and unique qualities with changes of perspective will stimulate the reader’s thoughts and emotions; however, it may take a couple of readings for young people to actually “get” this poetic element. In “Can’t Blow This House Down,” it begins with “Houses made of bricks/ call for/ a wolf’s tricks” and the accompanying poem ends with “A wolf’s tricks/ call for/ houses made of bricks.”

The Poet

Marilyn Singer is an award-winning author of more than ninety children’s books, including many collections of poetry. She actually invented the reverso poem and this second collection is a follow up to her first book of reversos titled Mirror Mirror.

Josee Masse, the illustrator, is an acclaimed artist and has illustrated numerous books in France and the United States. She studied graphic art in Montreal and also designs images for magazines and advertising.

Layout

Masse’s beautiful full-page illustrations mirror the transitions from the first poem’s perspective to the second’s, and provide realistic details helping the reader to interpret both scenarios. Singer’s note explaining the poetic form of the reverso is a nice touch, as is the “About the Tales” summary she includes at the end of the book; especially as readers may not be as familiar with the fairy tales in Follow Follow as they were with the more popular ones in Stringer’s first reverso collection.

Spotlight Poem

"Can’t Blow This House Down"

Houses made of bricks

call for a wolf’s tricks.

No more

huffing and puffing!

Cheers to clever Mr. Big and Bad

when he comes down this chimney!

Who’ll be boiled or roasted,

triumphantly toasted?

That one little piggy,

by the hair of his chinny chin chin.

By the hair of his chinny chin chin,

that one little piggy

triumphantly toasted:

“Who’ll be boiled or roasted,

when he comes down this chimney?

Cheers to clever Mr. Big and Bad,

huffing and puffing

no more!

A wolf’s tricks

call for

houses made of bricks.”

Poetry Break

Introduction: I would introduce this poem by sharing the “About the Tales” summary Singer provides of The Three Little Pigs in which “Can’t Blow This House Down” was based.

Extension Activity: After the first reading, I would let volunteers take turns reading each part of the reverso poem aloud, paying close attention to punctuation.

All the Broken Pieces: A Novel in Verse

by Ann E. Burg

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Burg, Ann E. All the Broken Pieces: A Novel in Verse. New York: Scholastic Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-545-08092-7.

Poetic Elements

In the linear format of narrative verse, Ann Burg gives us a beautiful and moving novel with a historical focus on the Vietnam War. Immediately, the figurative language and imagery Burg uses gives seventh grade Vietnam refugee, Matt Pinn, a strong voice and helps the reader make emotional connections with his grief. Of his American soldier father, Matt says:

His name

I will never say,

though forever I carry his blood

in my blood,

forever his bones

stretch in my bones.

To me,

he is nothing.

Burg uses alliteration in Matt’s recollection of his Vietnamese mother as well:

I carry her too,

her blood in my blood,

her bones in my bones.

Eyes I will not forget,

though I see them

only in dreams,

in fog,

through thick clouds of smoke.

I hear her voice,

thin, shrill staccato notes,

her words short puffs of air

that push me along,

inch by inch, breath by breath.

Matt’s American adoptive parents are loving and take him back to the adoption agency for two years to learn English and study the Vietnamese culture. Matt’s recollection of Vietnam was very different than that the adoption agency spoke of:

We did not talk about

the American War,

how tanks lumbered

in the roads

like drunken elephants,

and bombs fell

from the sky

like dead crows.

Matt said the teacher was a tiny woman who told happy stories
 of people and places he did not know:

Colorful costumes


and carnival dragons


live in another Vietnam,


a Vietnam


that I do not remember.

I close my eyes.


I listen.

I try to remember


the colors,

but I cannot.

I try to form


dragons from


dust,

but I cannot.

I try again.


But I cannot.

My Vietnam


is drenched


in smoke and fog.

It has no parks


or playgrounds,


no classrooms


or teachers.

It is not


on any map


or in any book.

My Vietnam is


only


a pocketful


of broken pieces


I carry

inside me.

Appeal

This novel takes a realistic, candid approach in revealing the horrific, lingering effects of war on both sides of the conflict through events and situations young people are familiar with today. Three years after being adopted, Matt is dealing with prejudice, bullies, a coach diagnosed with cancer, a baby brother who might take his place, and nightmares. Ironically, the bully who blamed Matt for the death of his brother as well as taking his place on the pitching mound, ends up helping Matt to overcome guilt over an accident involving the brother he was forced to leave behind. Eventually, with the encouragement of a Vietnam veteran support group, a love for the game of baseball and his music teacher, Matt comes to understand his birth mother truly loved him.

Overall Quality

The overall quality of Burg’s first attempt at a verse novel was indicated by the following awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults

Booklist Best of Editor’s Choice

2009 Booklist Top Ten First Novels for Youth

2009 Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth

NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Cybils Awards Finalist

Winner of the 2010 Jefferson Cup

The Poet

Ann Burg has been writing since she was a child and this explanation of her love for words can be found on her website at www.annburg.com/: “Some words are beautiful. Some are not. Some sparkle like glittering fireflies. Some are heavy and hurtful as rocks. I’ve collected them all. Words shape my world.”

Layout

The image of a tattered and torn baseball folds around from front to back, making for a mysterious and eye catching cover. Matter of fact, the cover is what first drew me to the novel and once I opened the cover and began reading, I didn’t stop until I reached the last page.

Spotlight Poem

All the Broken Pieces

(pgs. 58-59)

The assignment is

easy enough.

Without describing them physically,

choose one member of your family,

and write a brief character sketch

about them. Remember, we learn

more about a character

through their actions than their appearance.

Actions speak louder than adjectives.

I pull a pencil

from my top drawer.

My top drawer

is full of pencils, new,

used, half used, and

all-the-way-to-the-eraser-cap used.

I never get rid of pencils.

I never get rid of anything.

Who knows?

Even a stub

is worth something.

If bombs fall here,

if something so terrible

ever happens

that I get sent away,

I’ll stuff everything

I can fit

into my pockets.

Even the broken pieces

are worth something

to me.

Poetry Break

Introduction: I would pass around a basket full of pencils that were new, used, half used and too short to sharpen. I would ask each student to choose one before I read the above excerpt from All the Broken Pieces.

I would have students watch a short video clip depicting the devastating effects the Vietnam War had on civilian life in Vietnam. I would follow it up with a short description of the prejudice that ensued after the war toward the Vietnam veterans as well as the Vietnamese people.

Extension Activity:

After reading the novel, I display the following lines:

Remember, we learn

more about a character

through their actions than their appearance.

Actions speak louder than adjectives.

Then, have students discuss the bullying that goes on in schools today and how it relates to the bullying in All the Broken Pieces.

Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry for Your Brains

by Ryan Mecum

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Mecum, Ryan. (2008). Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry for Your Brains. Cincinnati, OH: How, 2008. ISBN: 9781600610707.

Poetic Elements

In the poetic structure of haiku, three simple lines composed of five syllables, then seven syllables, and another line of five syllables, Mecum tells the story from his point of view as a decaying zombie after a plague has struck his city. The imagery he manages in the 5-7-5 rhythm of this haiku poetry makes an emotional impact with the reader.

These lines might amuse:

“I’m really torn up.

A hole in my neck whistles

With every inhale.”

These lines might disgust:

“Fresh food smells so good,

like pasta Mom used to make.

Mom’s brains smell good.”

But even zombies redeem themselves as with these lines:

“I loved my momma.

I eat her with my mouth closed,

How she would want it.”

Appeal

Although I am no fan of zombies and some of the content is enough to make one queasy, I think this humorous book of haiku zombie poetry will be a hit among young people. In my experience as a middle school librarian, reluctant readers will find this book a manageable as well as an entertaining read; especially in the graphic novel format.

Overall Quality

Each poem is consistent in the haiku structure and will stimulate the reader’s thoughts and emotions. You can read more about Mecum and what others had to say about Zombie Haiku on his website at http://www.ryanmecum.com/ also written in graphic novel style with torn paper notes taped to the pages. Zombie Haiku even has a website that can be found here: http://www.zombiehaiku.com/.

The Poet

Ryan Mecum lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and spends most of his time watching terrible movies and reading comics. He has seen Evil Dead more times than he would care to mention, and he is a youth pastor at a Presbyterian church.

Layout

This unique book of haiku poetry is told in a graphic novel format of a journal with polaroid snapshot illustrations and taped notes. Quite a lot of blood is splashed across the cover as well as on the pages along with hand drawn sketches of brains.

In the “About the Author” section at the back of the book, Mecum includes a paper clipped polaroid snapshot of his dead/undead self with a short obituary, including a reference to zombie movies:

To George Romero:

Because of you, I’m screwed up.

Thanks for your movies.

Spotlight Haiku Poem

There is something fun

About that soft popping sound

When biting fat calves.

This poem/book is NOT for everyone; I would introduce this poem/book to my reluctant readers with this trailer/commercial found on youtube:

http://youtu.be/pd1Ws9QnmZY

Extension Activity: I would give interested students a chance to read more of Zombie Haiku for fun and perhaps try their hand at writing an additional zombie poem in haiku form.

Beast Feast

by Douglas Florian

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Florian, Douglas. Beast Feast. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1994. Print. ISBN: 0-15-295178-4.

Poetic Elements

 This colorful, funny collection of twenty-one original poems depicting different animals consist of rhythmic quirky word play such as “The rhea rheally isn't strange--  It's just an ostrich, rhearranged” and “Just when you think you know the boa, There’s moa and moa and moa and moa.” Florian includes both simple and creative rhymes in this delightful book for young readers.

Appeal

Although varying rhyme schemes are used in the book, they work very well together and young readers will love to chime in on subsequent readings. Some of the words are changed slightly to add humor to the poem. For example, “The pounding spatter Of salty sea Makes the walrus Walrusty” or “The kangaroo loves to leap. Into the air it zooms, While baby’s fast asleep Inside its kangaroom.” These word alterations add humor and imagery to the poetry, ultimately helping young readers learn more about each “beast”.

Overall Quality

Beast Feast was written for ages 5+ and each silly poem will certainly appeal to the target audience. The distinguished awards it earned indicate the overall quality of the book.

The Poets

Beast Feast: Poems and Paintings is a collection of original poems written and illustrated by Douglas Florian, who lives in New York and has illustrated many books for children. The dedication page states, “For my son Raphael” and it’s evident that Florian had a lot of passion for both the writing and painting in this book. It earned the 1995 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award as well as an ALA Notable Children’s Book Award.

Layout

It includes a Table of Contents and the aforementioned dedication page to his son, Raphael. A full-page watercolor illustration is included for each “beast” that is as delightful as the poem.

Florian has even included a watercolor portrait of himself with “beastlike” characteristics on the back of the book jacket. A clever aspect of this book is that the text changes to enhance the words. For example, OVERSIZED appears in a poem larger than the other text, the words “upside down” are written upside down, and the word pause is written as “p a u s e.”

Spotlight Poem

The Pigeon

by Douglas Florian

I don’t claim to

Love the pigeon,

But I like it

Just a smidgen.

Pigeons don’t get

No respect

Just because they

Hunt and peck.

When they walk

Their heads go bobbin’—

You don’t see that

In a robin.

They will sit right

On your shoulder.

Not too many

Birds are bolder.

Just be thankful

They’re around

To pick up crumbs

Left on the ground.

Poetry Break

I chose this poem because I felt like most every child would already be familiar with a pigeon, whereas they might not be familiar with a kiwi. I also love the rhythm of the poem and suspect children will as well.

I would introduce the poem (and book) by telling young students the title and then asking them what they thought the book would be about.

Extension Activity: After reading “The Pigeon” along with the other poems in the book, I would have the class brainstorm a familiar animal’s characteristics and write a class poem about that animal modeled after one of the poems in the book.