The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator) "Millions of years ago, vegetables ruled the earth..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Don't jump on your bed!" "Don't bite your nails!" Parents sure seem to have a lot of rules. To make matters worse, the reasons behind the rules often don't seem to make any sense. Could there be other, secret purposes behind these perpetual parental pleadings? Such is the premise of David Wisniewski's The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups, which has the look of a top secret, classified folder. A radical departure from his Caldecott Award-winning Golem, this book is pure wackiness. Inside, kids will find the "real" reasons behind their parents' rules. And, as Wisniewski reveals, grown-ups have more information than they let on--information pertaining to national security--that makes these admonitions essential.

Wisniewski's illustrations are bright paper cut-outs, featuring crumpled, torn "Security Clearance Required" documents that look freshly pilfered from a government dumpster. Although the conspiracy theories may be over a few young readers' heads, many kids will love the sense of getting an inside scoop. Suspicious youngsters will be delighted to find out, for example, that when parents tell you to eat your vegetables, it's actually to prevent vegetables from regaining world domination. Parents may roll their eyes and say, "Nonsense," but then again, they would say that, wouldn't they? (Ages 6 to 10)

From Publishers Weekly

Caldecott winner Wisniewski (Golem) spoofs conspiracy theories in this "confidential" volume, with a jacket designed to resemble a sealed manila envelope and illustrated with intricate cut-paper collages. "As a parent, I went along with it all at first: going to secret meetings... preparing for the day when my kids would want to know why this and why that. But not anymore!" confesses the narrator, whose typewritten words fill a crumpled sheet of brown paper. On the pages that follow, bulletins labeled "TOP SECRET" offer classified information. For example, "Grown-up Rule #31: Eat your vegetables" is followed by "Official Reason: They're good for you." This leads to "The Truth: You don't eat vegetables because they're good for you. You eat vegetables to k...." Here the document is torn as if by an enemy, and a turn of the page reveals, in oversize type: "to keep them under control!" A tyrannosaurus-style broccoli stalk marauds across the accompanying illustration, joined in its depredations by equally sinister carrots, radishes, etc. The engagingly silly formula repeats throughout, the text and the art consistent in their over-the-top humor and sure execution. The mock-official presentation gleefully contrasts with the utter ridiculousness of the "facts," just as the painstaking cut-paper technique contrasts with the loony wit of the compositions themselves. Yet, strangely, the findings seem to prove that young readers should comb their hair and stop blowing bubbles in their milk?could this expose be the work of a double agent? Ages 7-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (April 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688153399
• ISBN-13: 978-0688153397
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #316,972 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I had to buy three copies, December 18, 2001

By	Carol Watkins "Psychiatrist" (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

One of my children brought this home from the library and all of us were quickly convulsed with laughter. We had often joked with our kids about the "real reasons" that we asked them to do things, but David Wisniewski did a much better job of expanding and illustrating these types of fantasies. I decided to buy two--one for each of my office waiting rooms. However, my kids could not bear to part with one copy so I got three. Some of Mr. Wisniewski's scenarios get mentioned regularly around our dinner table, "Eat your vegetables so they won't eat you--I think I see a claw coming out from your salad!"

Sometimes I use this book to illustrate more serious issues. Conflicting agendas: When a family has a problem, the parents and the children often define the problem differently and have different hopes for the outcome. Power differences: Young children may see adults as having secret information and mysterious conversations behind closed doors. This book helps parents and kids look at these issues gently and laugh about them. This may soften the way toward discussing a family's conflicts and differing points of view.

The illustrations are excellent detailed cutouts. They are bold and dramatic. He makes use of multiple textures to give the cutouts a 3-dimensional fee. Some of the pictures are "gross." If you pick your nose, your brain may deflate. But the "gross-out" factor is funny, not scary or violent.

I get the sense that the author must be a funny, kind individual. I wish he could come to my son's school to teach a class on cutout art.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conspiracy theories and laughter, July 1, 2001

By	Marcy L. Thompson (Sammamish, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is remarkable on many levels. First, it is a whimsical and cute idea, executed beautifully. Second, it works as a satire on the conspiracy theories which surround the modern reader. Everyone I have shared this book with has loved it, even those adults who normally don't find anything useful or charming in children's books.

Highly recommended for people of any age.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Secret Knowledge Of Grown-Ups, May 27, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups (Paperback)

This book was a great book if you want some excitement and laughter. Of course it isn't true, although I had to question myself about that at first. The rules David Wisniewski (author) talks about in this book are rules you've probably heard your parents say a million times. Now, (if you read the book), you'll know the reasons why parents say these rules. The reasons David Wisniewski makes up are funny and seem so real. They'll make you laugh. The exciting part is that these reasons are parts of secret files that haven't ever been shown to kids before. Also, the illustrations are lively and colorful. They are interesting and the fun to look at. You won't be able to put this book down, and you'll never get tired of reading it. Every time I read it, it makes me laugh. (The author, David Wisniewski, is a Caldecott Medal winner.)