The Wall In The Middle Of The Book

Jon Agee’s latest offering is one of several enchanting titles from the new children’s publisher Scallywag Press … it strikes exactly the right balance between comfort and peril, thanks not least to Agee’s gentle illustrations.

This picturebook from the launch list of Scallywag Press demonstrates how much can be done with few words and simple pictures … Dramas happen in the pictures … The images, using washes, texture, collage and autumnal colours, express emotion succinctly. The book also has a wider resonance: about demonising strangers, preconceived ideas and the folly of a wall.

Agee’s illustration and his spare, unembellished text gives the book an instantly classic feel. It is one of the first books from new publishing house Scallywag Press, and a promise of fine things to come in 2019.

In one of the most powerful picture books of the year so far, Jon Agee makes us question the perceived order of things in this smart, timely and playful tale.

There’s just the right feeling of peril and strangeness in the book, which will enable young readers to realise what’s going on and identify with the kind ogre just at the right time. A very topical book that will nonetheless be of perennial interest for illustration fans and those looking for a thought-provoking, simple book about relating to others.

There are layers and layers of meaning here to be explored with children. This book should be in every classroom from kindergarten to college because it is never too soon, or too late, to start questioning ‘certainties’ about ourselves, and issues of divisions in society … From a critical literacy perspective, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

It’s a very funny story, and such a cleverly delivered fable of the silliness and dangers of preconceptions. Don’t miss.

This is a delightful book that would make essential reading in a primary classroom where the various messages that emanate from it might form the basis of hours of discussion and activity.

Jon Agee studied painting and film-making at The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. He now lives in San Francisco with his wife and is a full-time author.

He is the author/illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, which have received numerous awards including an Irma Black Honor, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books, ALA Notable Book, Horn Book Fanfare, and Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year. Jon’s books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide and have been translated into many languages.

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