Wise Up! Wise Down!

Great poetry has the power to provoke discussion with just a few words, and this marvellous collection achieves that with ease.

The poets, John Agard and Jon Arno Lawson, introduce themselves in the opening verse, as does illustrator Satoshi Kitamura, with a little self-portrait at the bottom of the page. What follows is a lively, poetic conversation between the two writers. One presents a question or statement in verse and the other responds with their own poem, which takes readers on a meandering, thought-provoking and imaginative journey.

Perfect to read aloud, some are entertaining nods to traditional nursery rhymes, while others are imaginative nonsense poems. With a mixture of rhyme and free verse, many are connected by themes, such as the nature of identity or looking out for one another. 

The poems are drawn together by Kitamura’s distinctive black-and-white illustrations, which inject humour and personality into this fabulous collection.

A contents page means readers can instantly locate their favourite poems, and some useful tips at the end will help readers to explore their own responses to poetry, from creating their own verse to setting poems to music.