Upside Downer: More Pictures To Stretch The Imagination

by Mitsumasa Anno (Author and Illustrator)

The upside-down world of cards provides the basis for this unusual collection of mind-boggling illustrations

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

27 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

His name is written as 安野光雅 in Japanese.

Mitsumasa Anno (born March 20, 1926) was a Japanese illustrator and writer of children's books, known best for picture books with few or no words. He received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1984 for his "lasting contribution to children's literature".

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Cheryl]

I might have liked this more when I was a child. Or I might have said what I do now: "So what?" Explore the works of Escher, instead. Or, perhaps, The Annotated Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not that big a deal - no Escher genius here. Same old thing every page.

[Elizagayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe this book is not on par with Escher, but! He is a great introduction for children to see things from another’s point. And the words are so fun to read aloud! On par with Seuss.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Upside-Downers” is about a village that sees another village only it’s upside down! The other village says it is not them who are upside down! The kings have to get together to decide just WHO is upside down! The book helps stretch the imagination says Mitsumasa Anno, and I agree with him. The book is written with some print right-side up and some up-side down, and some goes round and round! What a great idea! The book is great fun to read and has all kinds of different rhyming schemes in it. One person can sit on one side of the book and read while another sits opposite and reads from their side, or one person could just keep moving the book around and around. Another interesting point about this book is that it was actually originally written in Japanese and was translated into this book for us to read in English by Meredith Weatherby and Susanne Trumbull. The three writers worked together to create this book in English and I think it is a great success!

*Brooklyn Art Books for Children citation

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, like most of Anno's works, DOES make you think. All a matter of perspective; fun to read with someone else, facing each other (on top and bottom of book), so you hear both sides.

[Hall · Rating 1 out of 5]

cute idea, but kids didn't understand it...and it was hard for me to read to them.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alissa giggled through the whole book. Then she said, "Valorie likes my laugh and my giggle."