Listeners are treated to Marilyn Singer’s second collection of folktale-based reverso poems, her own poetic creations whose lines produce whole new meanings when read from top to bottom or from bottom to top. As narrator, Singer is tuned in to sharing the nuances that changes in punctuation, word order, and emphasis bring to the same poetic lines. In “Will the Real Princess,” the words “this bed rocks” exude ecstasy when read one way or agony when incorporated into the reverse line. Joe Morton narrates with playfulness; he’s an especially low-voiced and leisurely Turtle in contrast to his jumping-up-and-down-the-register and speedy Hare in “Ready, Steady, Go.” The author’s explanation of reverso poetry and synopses of the volume’s folktales complete the production. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2015 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
