Echo Echo: Reverso Poems About Greek Myths

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. [em]Author's agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Illustrator’s agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Feb.) [/em]