Wise Up! Wise Down!: A Poetic Conversation

Funny, thought-provoking, and bursting with curiosity, Wise Up! Wise Down! is a lively conversation between two internationally known poets, illustrated by acclaimed artist Satoshi Kitamura.

How can laughter be more powerful than a sword? Why do days have names but not weeks? And do pigeons ever get a craving for cake? Two friends, esteemed poets John Agard and JonArno Lawson, take us on an inspiring, hilarious, and wondrous journey through poetry, asking questions and attempting answers as they discover that life really is forever and ever an adventure. Comprising more than seventy-five poems written in a call-and-response format, with each poem having a reply from the other poet, Wise Up! Wise Down! is sure to inspire all readers to find humor in every day.

John Agard is a poet, playwright, and short story writer who grew up in Guyana, where his love of language was sparked by listening to cricket commentaries on the radio. He is the author of Windrush Child: The Tale of a Caribbean Child Who Faced a New Horizon, illustrated by Sophie Bass. He has won many prizes, including a CLPE Poetry Award, the Queen’s Medal for Poetry, and a BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been a writer in residence at the BBC; Southbank Centre, in London; and the National Maritime Museum, in London. John Agard lives in England.

JonArno Lawson is an award-winning poet and writer who is the author of many books for children and adults, including Over the Shop and A Day for Sandcastles, both illustrated by Qin Leng. He has received the Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry four times and has won the Governor General’s Literary Award. JonArno Lawson has taught children’s poetry at Simmons College in Boston and lives in Toronto with his family.

Satoshi Kitamura is the creator of more than twenty picture books and has illustrated books by John Agard, Colin McNaughton, Hiawyn Oram, and others. The illustrator of a New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of the Year, Satoshi Kitamura was presented with a Mother Goose Award for “most exciting newcomer to British illustration,” and his books have been translated into multiple languages. He lives in Japan.