The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups: The Second File
By David Wisniewski
Illustrated by David Wisniewski

     Grown-ups are always telling kids what to do. It's always "Brush your teeth! Wash your feet! Clean under your bed!" The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups will tell you the true reasons why grown-ups say these things. Do you believe that the reason you brush your teeth is to prevent cavities? Do you actually wash your feet just to make them clean, or clean under your bed simply to make it tidy? David Wisniewski reveals to you the true reasons why grown-ups say these things. Shhh! It's a conspiracy. Nevertheless, you must keep the secret. Your parents will never tell you what your stomach does when it is upset, or about the little people inside the television.

     This is the second book where the un-James Bond-like hero quests to find the real answers. Follow Wisniewski's shadow quest to debunk the lies, and find the myths behind why parents say what they do. The investigator cracks open the top-secret vault. However, don't expect the academic answers. The cover may be a red paper folder tied with string, but the hilarious stories behind the knot are not explanations you will find anywhere else. The first volume, also a comedic conspiracy spoof about the real reasons why parents tell kids to do things, won the Caldecott Medal in 1997.

David Wisniewski, a graduate of Ringling Bros. Clown College, drew from his puppetry skills to create the Clarion Shadow Theater, and later combined that paper cutting style with cartooning to create the intriguing artwork illustrating the pages. The colorful and engaging text is just as bright and witty as the amazing graphic artwork. (Who kneow cut paper could be so expressive?) If you search for this book on Amazon, the suggested alternatives are all creative writing books. I think Amazon has the right idea--children will read this book and be ready to jump off into a world of creative thinking--inventing more real reasons and stories behind stories that put the truth to shame. What an innovative way to get kids thinking outside of the box!