Echo Echo: Reverso Poems About Greek Myths

by Marilyn Singer

Other authorsJosée Masse (Illustrator)

Hardcover, 2016

Status

Available

Call number

811.54

Publication

Dial Books (2016), Edition: Illustrated, 32 pages

Description

"What happens when you hold up a mirror to poems about Greek myths? You get a brand-new perspective on the classics! And that is just what happens in Echo Echo, the newest collection of reverso poems from Marilyn Singer. Read one way, each poem tells the story of a familiar myth; but when read in reverse, the poems reveal a new point of view! Readers will delight in uncovering the dual points of view in well-known legends, including the stories of Pandora's box, King Midas and his golden touch, Perseus and Medusa, Pygmalion, Icarus and Daedalus, Demeter and Persephone, and Echo and Narcissus. These cunning verses combine with beautiful illustrations to create a collection of fourteen reverso poems to treasure."--

User reviews

LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26

Following up on her two previous collections of "Reverso" poetry, Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse and Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems, author Marilyn Singer here delivers a third exploration of the form, retelling some of the classical myths of ancient Greece from differing

perspectives. Read one way, the lines in these poems tell one story, but read in the opposite direction, they give another version of the tale. Theseus and Ariadne, Melanion and Atalanta, King Midas and his daughter, each one gives their version of their story, before their counterpart's take is revealed when ones reads in reverse.

As with its two predecessors, I found the poems in Echo Echo clever and creative, but also sometimes a little unsatisfactory, in their own right. I like the idea, both of the form itself, and of retelling famous stories in that form, but sometimes the actual poems fail to impress. That said, as someone with an interest in classical mythology, I did find them enjoyable as a storytelling vehicle, and thought that the accompanying artwork by Josée Masse, who also provided the illustrations for Mirror Mirror and Follow Follow, was colorful and engaging, building on the duality of the text in interesting ways. Recommended to anyone who enjoyed Singer and Masse's previous forays together, as well as to young readers looking for something a little different, in the way of retellings of Greek myths.

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LibraryThing member gregresch

Amazing set of poems that are written to be read in both directions and set to stunning illustration.

LibraryThing member williamlong33

Each poem offers an account of an ancient myth, but completely changes context when the lines are presented in reverse order. The accompanying images reinforce this by presenting mirrored postures and objects, but in ancient or modern representations. The poems provide an interesting social

commentary about past ideas versus present.

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LibraryThing member Lilly.Reid

Arachne versus Athena, Pandora and her box, and more are all heroes and enemies in this wacky and impressive book of poetry.

LibraryThing member klamproe

These are the some poems about greek myths. The poems tell some of the familiar tales that we are used to but with a twist. each poem is told twice but one version is backwards, like an echo. As the book says there are two sides to every story, and we get to read them.

LibraryThing member rainablu

This was a collection of poems about Greek myths. There is the well known story from greek myths and then also a new view.

LibraryThing member Jahnavee

A collection of "reverso" poems about classic Greek myths.

LibraryThing member JoanEChasse

Echo Echo: Reverso Poems about Greek Myths by Marilyn Singer is an interesting book of poetry that shows that there are two sides to a story. In Greek mythology, the gods of Olympus and human beings do not usually see things the same way. Each poem is told twice. When the original poem is read in

reverse, a different message is conveyed to the reader. This book is one of the 2019 Nutmeg Book Award Elementary Nominees. This poetry book would be good for students who are interested in Greek mythology or learning about it.

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LibraryThing member lexilewords

Back at ALA Midwinter Boston 2015, the Penguin gals spoke about this book during their Book Buzz session. I was hooked. Aside from the Greek myth angle this is such a clever way to tell stories. I very much recommend if you are reading this aloud that you offer sheets with the poems on it, you have

to see how the lines and punctuation and pace change from side to side.

The illustrations are gorgeous - like the words they are reverse of each other (in the Hades/Persephone you see the sadness and happiness of their viewpoints for instance) and the myths chosen good fit. Not just very well known myths like Pandora, Persephone and Orpheus, but also Melanion & Atalanta, and Bellerophon & Pegasus.

To have this sort of imagination and agility of mind makes me jealous. This is a level of reading and writing comprehension that I wish we saw more often in fun ways like this. It makes a higher concept poetry idea interesting to a younger generation who wouldn't always been exposed to it.

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