The last few weeks have been filled with one thing after another! I needed some down time for reading as what I have found of late is pretty tough. Prison camps, transgender issues, first crushes, The Holocaust. Therefore I found this odd and little looking book called, Wise Up! Wise Down!: A Poetic Conversation by John Agard, JonArno Lawson and illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura on line and read it for a nice winding down.
This book is a unique mix of subjects and forms for both adults and children. It can be sophisticated, child-like, and a combination of the two. With Shel Silverstein-like humor at times, but also a mature seriousness, these letters, poems, conversations and more twist and turn. Our narrators ask questions, give us opinions and a lot more. Nonsense poems are not new, therefore, the fact these are nonsense in many ways, made it lose a few points for me. Still, I liked everything. It is a thinking book and just something to enjoy. As I said above, adults are an audience, and in fact, might even like it and understand the concept better than most kids. The setup and tone makes this for at least the 8 and up crowd, but really any age can listen to some of the works.
I read as an online reader copy, and it is due in March 2025. And because it was online and not “in hand” read, I am not sure how the final illustrations and format will be. Yet, I do know that it is but it is a read that needs to be at least considered, even if you don’t think it is “your type of book.” And, in fact, if you think that, you probably should read it then! Overall it is a pleasant, unusual, weird, sweet, clever and whatever you feel about it kind of book.
