The wall in the middle of the book

by Jon Agee

Hardcover, 2018

Status

Available

Tags

Collection

Publication

New York, NY : Dial Books for Young Readers, [2018]

Description

A knight who feels secure on his side of the wall that divides his book discovers that his side is not as safe as he thought, and the other side is not as threatening.

User reviews

LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
A tiny knight celebrates the existence of the wall that stands in the middle of this new picture-book from author/illustrator Jon Agee, convinced that it is protecting him from the dangerous creatures on the other side. Little does he realize that the rising water on his own side, and the dangerous
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creature it brings, pose more of a threat. Fortunately, those on the other side of the wall are not as ungenerous as the knight...

As a long-time fan of Agee's picture-books, I was quite excited to see The Wall In the Middle of the Book when it came into work. The subject matter feels very topical, given the national debate here in the states regarding immigration and building walls along the border, and I would assume that this tale represents a direct response to those issues on the part of its creator. That said, it can also be read as a meditation on the stifling power of fear in general, how our worries about the unknown possibilities can lead us to overlook more immediate, real dangers. Although I enjoyed this one, and appreciated its implicit messages, somehow I didn't find it quite as entertaining as I'd expected to, given that it is an Agee title. The hilarity of some of his other tales is missing here, although I do think young reader/listeners will enjoy being able to see the "whole picture" in ways that the knight cannot. Recommended to Jon Agee fans, and to anyone looking for picture-books addressing the theme of fear, separation and the unknown.
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LibraryThing member villemezbrown
I picked this up because my wife likes to read the occasional picture book. The title caught my eye because of the resemblance to [book:The Monster at the End of this Book|44186]. And having cracked it open, I was intrigued by the novel use of the book's gutter as an actual divider between the left
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and right sides of the book.

The overall story was very predictable, culminating in a pleasing conclusion, but the actual events on either side of the wall leading to that end (animal stacking, rising water) just lacked any sense or logic, leaving me very unsatisfied. I heard this is all symbolic of Trump's wall and global warming, but that doesn't really do anything to alleviate my disappointment in the surface level of the story.
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Language

ISBN

0525555455 / 9780525555452

Barcode

22
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