The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups: The Second File

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"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
David Wisniewski continues his conspiracy theory in The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups: The Second File, explaining to youngsters the "real reason" that grown-ups want them to eat a good breakfast (otherwise your stomach "throws a tantrum") and not watch TV late at night ("so the actors can take a break!"). Once again, Wisniewski's meticulous cut-paper illustrations underscore his comical words of caution. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5?Emulating the tongue-in-cheek approach of revisionist folklorist Jon Scieszka, Wisniewski presents a handful of goofy reasons for the rules that parents relentlessly inflict on their gullible children. He turns the tables on other adults by sharing his secret files and exposing the truth behind edicts such as "Comb your hair" (official reason: "It keeps it neat." The truth : "to stop it from going back into those little holes in your head") and "Don't play with your food" (official reason: "It's messy and rude." The truth: "...the food will want to play with you"). Silliness is the norm here and puns are sorely abused. The illustrations are fantastic?the amazingly intricate cut-paper designs are layered and then photographed, shadows enhancing the three-dimensional effect. However, despite Wisniewski's enthusiasm, not all of the absurdity works. The "collages" range from the tacky ("Hell's Pinkies" are the diminutive gang members, grown from chewed fingernails, that are forced to pick earwax), to the gross (a graphic sneeze), to the macabre (a boy and a headless chicken race toward one another in a literal interpretation of this game of nerves), to, unfortunately, the tasteless (the detail from Picasso's Guernica is offensive, bizarrely linked to the "Don't blow bubbles in your milk" rule). Still, kids should have fun coming up with their own silly explanations to combat this adult conspiracy run under the guise of manners.?John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TXCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Gr. 3^-5. Wisniewski takes the role of spy in this goofball book that bears absolutely no resemblance to anything he's done before. The setup is certainly imaginative: a rogue parent (presumably Wisniewski) goes behind the scenes to expose the real truth behind some of the familiar directives parents give to their kids, among them, "Drink your milk," "Don't bite your fingernails," and "Don't jump on your bed." To do that, he dons a variety of insane disguises, not the least of which is a scuba diver swimming in a huge chocolate milk shake. The humorous "truth" reveals a world gone awry, where predatory potatoes roam the earth and picking your nose deflates your brain. The over-the-top comedy won't appeal to everyone, nor will kids catch all the jokes, which are occasionally pretty obscure. But a lot of children will really love the zaniness, and, as usual, Wisniewski's brightly colored paper-cut collages are extraordinary. Picture paper-cut fanged vegetables gone crazy and furry mattresses with tails jumping across mountain peaks, and you've got the idea. Stephanie Zvirin


From Kirkus Reviews
PLB 0-688-15340-2 Wisniewski (Golem, 1996, etc.) satirizes the myriad rules that grown-ups impose on children, from eating vegetables and combing hair to refraining from nose-picking. On behalf of kids everywhere, the author sets out to sabotage the world's adults in their conspiracy to pass on proper hygiene, common courtesy, and good manners to children. Sleuthing through top-secret files, procured by disguising himself variously as an eggplant, a bedbug, a nail, or a giant nose, the author exposes the ``sinister, truly macabre reasons for these seemingly innocent requests.'' Meat-eating saber-toothed asparagus and woolly cucumbers terrorized early humans back in the Age of Vegetables; humans eat them so as not to be eaten. Similarly, children drink milk to stop atomic cows (developed because ``in the 1950s, our government was afraid that the Russians would develop the first atomic cow and flood the market with Communist milk'') from exploding. This misguided attempt at subversive humor seems aimed at other adults, rather than the picture-book set, who won't understand the Cold War references nor laugh at the notions of Scottish shepherds herding mattresses on farms by serenading them with bonny ballads. Even the children in the age group that finds all references to body parts and bodily functions funny may be dumbfounded, though they will appreciate the painstakingly detailed cut-paper creations that depict, for example, a boy's face being sucked into a glass of milk. (Picture book. 6-11) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


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Gr 2-5-The intrepid debunker of parental restraints returns in this sequel to The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups (Lothrop, 1998). Continuing his quest to unearth the truth behind such rules as "brush your teeth," "clean under your bed," and "don't swallow your gum," the author risks life and limb as he dons various disguises, eludes determined pursuers, and cracks intricate security systems. He reveals the true and truly far-fetched explanations (brushing reminds your teeth to stay put, cleaning under your bed prevents the growth of dust bunnies, and swallowing gum will inflate your stomach and you'll float away) in brief vignettes that draw from fractured history, convoluted science, and just plain absurdity. Meticulous cut-paper illustrations extend the silliness of the premise as molars riot, dust bunnies attack, and flatulent GIs prepare an invasion. While wordy for a picture book, lots of the text appears in boxed asides and picture captions. The humor sometimes tries too hard and exclamation points proliferate as the predominantly male cast delivers puns, jokes, and (sometimes gross) mayhem. Many of the jibes, while clever, will be best appreciated by adults and a total of eight "secrets" makes for a bulky and lengthy second file. Buy where the first is popular.-Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. Read all 6 "From The Critics" >


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