Publisher blurb: Parents are always spouting these rules. Do they really care about nutrients and mattresses, or are they hiding something? Luckily, one fearless grown-up will risk his neck and his dignity to find out. Disguised as everything from a chocolate milk scuba diver to a giant nose, this counterspy uncovers the disturbing truth. And what he learns will shock you like nothing before. ... Dangerous digit gangs! Powerful sumo cells! Those are just some of the secrets revealed in this book by Caldecott medalist David Wisniewski. But don′t let anyone catch you reading it-especially grown-ups. Who knows what could happen if they knew that you knew?
Until this week I had no idea there was a second book from this series. I loved sharing the first book The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups with teachers and students in my school library. This book is also perfect when classes are talking about persuasive language. Now I have seen David Wisniewski wrote a second book and that makes me smile.
The library I visit each week also has three other very different books illustrated using paper cutting by this US author/illustrator. Even though I had seen the first book above David Wisniewski is a new discovery. His sixth book Golem won the Caldecott Medal in 1997.
His first children's book was The Warrior and the Wise Man written in 1989 which I talk about in detail below. Sadly David Wisniewski died in 2002 aged only 49. He originally worked in a circus and then he and his wife formed a puppet theatre which toured schools. "Shadow puppetry was our speciality, wherein flat, jointed figures move against a screen illuminated with rear-projected scenery. Although I didn't know it at the time, shadow puppetry trained me to do picture books."
The wonderful thing about the library I visit is that clearly the Teacher-Librarian has had the time and the interest/passion to explore amazing illustrators such as David Wisniewski. As I said, my library had a copy of The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups but it never occurred to me to investigate the illustrator. Perhaps this was because back in 1998 I was not "Googling" every new book in the way I can now.
Here is a partial list of books by David Wisniewski:
- Elfwyn's Saga New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1990.
- Golem. New York: Clarion Books, 1996.
- Rain Player New York: Clarion Books, 1991.
- The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1998.
- Sumo Mouse San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2002.
- Sundiata: Lion King of Mali New York: Clarion Books, 1992.
- Tough Cookie New York: Clarion Books, 1999.
- The Warrior and the Wise Man New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1989.
- The Wave of the Sea Wolf New York: Clarion Books, 1994.
Blurb: Sam Spade, move over! In his years on the force, Tough Cookie Busted the Ginger Snaps and broke up the Macaroons. Now living as a private eye at the bottom of the cookie jar, he learns that Fingers has gotten his old partner, Chips. With his best girl, Pecan Sandy, at his side, Tough Cookie sets out to put Fingers away, for keeps! This hilarious spoof will have readers rolling in the aisles.
From the library I borrowed The Warrior and the Wise man; Rain Player; and Sea Wolf.
The Warrior and the Wise man is a Japanese folktale-style story. "When I had the idea for a story that would dramatise the contrast between two approaches to solving a problem, one relying on blind force and the other on reasoned action, I chose to set it in ancient Japan, a society that had clearly defined classes of warriors and wise men."
In this book we meet Tozaemon who is brave and fierce while his twin brother Toemon is thoughtful and gentle - the greatest wise man in the land. The emperor sets his sons a challenge to bring him the five eternal elements - fire, water, wind, earth and cloud. Tozaemon is like a bulldozer. He rampages through the land upsetting the demons while Toemon follows behind apologising and repairing. Each time he has to give away each of the elements and so he arrives home almost empty handed but his brother Tozaemon has angered the demons and so they arrive with a huge army. Luckily the wisdom of Toemon saves the day and the Emperor learns an important lesson:
"Today I have learned a great truth ... Strength, though vital, must always be in the service of wisdom. For that reason, Toemon will become the next emperor of this land."
Rain Player is a story from the Mayan civilisation. Fans of games like soccer and even quidditch.
"The favourite game of the Maya was pok-a-tok, a fast moving combination of present-day soccer and basketball, played with a sold rubber ball on a walled court. Opposing teams tried to send the ball through the stone rings above their heads. Hands and feet were not allowed to touch the ball; it had to bounce off padded hips, shoulders and forearms. The winning team was allowed to collect the jewellery and clothing of the spectators, who quickly ran away once the match was won. Losers received nothing, and sometimes lost their heads as well as the game."
Chac, the Sun God hears Pik boasting and so he challenges him to a game of pok-a-tok. If Pik loses he will be turned into a frog. As a baby, Pik was given some special gifts - a planting stick, a ball, a jaguar tooth, a quetzal feather and water from a sacred cenote or well. Pik needs a team for the game so he visits the animals and places associated with his baby gifts. the story feels like a legend to explain drought and rain because when Pik wins the game he is taken up into the heavens by Chac and given an enormous gourd filled with water which he then pours over a thirsty world.
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