Turns Out I Was Wrong About You

The Wall in the Middle of the Book
Written & Illustrated by Jon Agee
Age Level: 2-5 Years
Published October 2, 2018

Trying to keep an open mind.

There is a sturdy brick wall in the middle of this book on every page. According to the young knight who is our protagonist,

“The wall protects this side of the book . . .
from the other side of the book.”

Initially, you believe him. The other side of the book has fierce looking animals and a giant ogre with a bludgeon. But it soon becomes apparent that regardless of what awaits on the dreaded side, it’s surely safer than the knight’s half of the page which is starting to flood. After being rescued from the rising sea, our hero finds himself on the other side of the wall face-to-face with the scary ogre. And he discovers that the other side of the book is kinder, gentler, and more welcoming than he thought.

This story is so simple that it’s a joy to read. But I love that the story is also metaphorically rich. It’s about misconceptions, preconceived notions, and fearing the unknown. Do walls make people safer by keeping them apart? Or harm people by preventing them from getting to know each other? Some days we do a simple surface reading, other times we dig into the deeper meaning, and either way we always love this suspenseful, silly story.