Awards

• Runner-up for National Book Award 1997
• Winner of Horn Book Fanfare 2015
• Winner of IRA-CBC Children's Choice 1998
• Winner of Irma Black Honor 2019
• Winner of Parents Choice Award 2005

Overview

Sunday Times Culture Magazine Book of the Week;There's a wall in the middle of the book, and our hero-a young knight-is sure that the wall protects his side of the book from the dangers of the other side-like an angry tiger and giant rhino, and worst of all, an ogre who would gobble him up in a second! But our knight doesn't seem to notice the crocodile and growing sea of water that are emerging on his side. When he's almost over his head and calling for help, who will come to his rescue? An individual who isn't as dangerous as the knight thought-from a side of the book that might just have some positive things to offer after all! Jon Agee is brilliant in his use of the page turn, visual storytelling, and deadpan humour, and appeals to fans of Oliver Jeffers and Jon Klassen.

Full Product Details

9781912650057

Table of Contents

Reviews

'This picturebook from the launch list of Scallywag Press demonstrates how much can be done with few words and simple pictures. A little knight feels safe on one side of a wall, since an ogre is on the other. But when danger approaches, the ogre rescues him by pulling him over the wall, and the other side turns out to be wonderful. Dramas happen in the pictures, so pre-readers can watch the knight mending a hole in the wall, wild animals climbing on top of each other, waters rising, little fish eaten by bigger fish until a monster-sized one approaches, and finally knight, ogre and wild animals sharing an adventure. 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.' Sunday Times Culture Magazine Book of the Week;'Jon Agee's The Wall in the Middle of the Book (Scallywag Press, GBP12.99, 3+) is a humorous exploration of fear. The armoured knight who leads us through the book is a happy-go-lucky character. Of course he is! He is on the right side of the wall that run downs the middle of the book (a quite brilliant use of the gutter). The knight loves the wall. It keeps him safe from the other side of the book, which is, apparently, quite dangerous: full of wild, savage animals, and ruled over by a fearsome ogre. However, the knight is so busy protecting himself from the other side, that he fails to notice the dangers encroaching behind him. It transpires, thankfully, that the ogre on the other side is friendlier than he could ever have imagined. The contemporary political undertones of Brexit and US borders make The Wall in the Middle of the Book a very timely publication, but Agee's illustration and his spare, unembellished text gives it 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.' The Irish times;'This is a tale, brimming with fun, entertainment and positive messages about freedom of movement, and one that children will want to return to time and time again.' Lancashire Post;'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.' Book Trust, Book of the Day;'A timeless message but also one that, in 2018, will surely strike a chord with many readers. (Picture book. 3-6) Kirkus, starred review;'As ever, Agee nails pacing and punch lines. Most satisfying is his gentle reminder that preconceived notions about things and people, over a boundary or otherwise, are often distinctly wrong.' Publishers Weekls, starred review;'A wall keeping out everything on the `unsafe' other side turns out to be a terrible idea for the knight-hero of this funny, winking book. New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Books of 2018;'A little knight appreciates how a wall protects him from the big ogre on the other side - until he needs a big rescue when his side of the wall floods.' Boston Globe Best Children's Books of 2018

Author Information

Jon Agee attended The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. A full-time author, he lives with his wife in San Francisco. Jon is the author/illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, which between them have won an Irma Black Honor, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books, ALA Notable Book, and much more. In the UK Jon has been shortlisted for the Children's Book Award and twice been long-listed for the UKLA Award.

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