Wise Up! Wise Down!: Poems by John Agard and JonArno Lawson

Shortlisted for the CLiPPA poetry prize, Wise Up! Wise Down! is a collaborative poetry book that reads like a chat between old friends. The concept is a conversation between two poets – in poetry, of course!

Instead of a standard collection of separate pieces, celebrated poets John Agard and JonArno Lawson volley ideas, rhymes and riddles back and forth across the pages. Different fonts make it easy for children to track the witty conversation between the two.

Satoshi Kitamura’s distinctive illustrations add another appealing layer, connecting the verses beautifully. It is a rich, challenging and deeply fun poetry book that makes a fantastic addition to poetry shelves or reading for pleasure slots for confident upper KS2 readers who love wordplay. You can also find out more in JonArno’s recent interview about the book for our blog.