Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings

Come in … for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein’s world begins. You’ll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist. Masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound.

For years, ever since I was a kid, I've thought of this as the "companion" book to Silverstein's "A Light in the Attic" - although, intriguingly, this one was written first. Now, after all this time, I think I finally understand why: it's simply not quite as good.

That's not to say it isn't very, very enjoyable, because it is. A couple of Silverstein's absolute classics are here, including "Boa Constrictor" and "Peanut-Butter Sandwich," and several of the poems either started life as or became songs, most notably "The Unicorn" (which anyone who listens to oldies radio has heard at least once, courtesy of the Irish Rovers). Silverstein's flair for wit and the humor of children is clearly evident in both his prose and illustrations; as show more usual, some librarians have proved their own ineptitude by banning the book for a couple of bare bottoms and the occasional rude (to an adult) joke.

Any personal library of nonsense verse is incomplete without this volume. However, I would venture that any with "Sidewalk Ends" also requires "A Light in the Attic." They compliment each other, and the second builds on the skill so easily appreciated in the first. show less

This book is my American childhood. This is every afternoon at school, from kindergarten in 1977 to third grade in 1980, sitting on the floor in a semi-circle around various teachers (respected Mrs Case, beloved Mrs Sobel, unlovely and feared Mrs Baumgartner, glorious, worshipped Mizz Grundy) and hearing all about Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout. I can hear my esteemed 6-year-old colleague Patrick reading "What a Day" in high-pitched, giggling mid-western drawl. I remember feeling so sorry for the Australian kids I met when we returned to Melbourne in 1980. I went into Grade 4 and they'd never heard of [a:Shel Silverstein|435477|Shel Silverstein|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1201029128p2/435477.jpg]! Poor deprived mites. show more They'd got [a:May Gibbs|126595|May Gibbs|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-e0ba3b90c110cd67123d6a850d85373e.png]. Urgh. Give me the subversive Mr Silverstein any day. show less

Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" is a great way to introduce children to poetry. The poems are funny yet provide a deeper meaning for those who are looking. It opens with an "Invitation" poem that invites dreamers, wishers, and pretenders to a whole new world that sparks children's imagination and love for poetry. The poem titled "Colors," inconspicuously touches on adult topics with an admirable perspective. Silverstein is intentional yet concealed in alluding to a greater meaning. His use of humor and imagination are effective in entertaining children and teaching strong moral messages. Silverstein encourages positive messages through his diverse use of poetry structure for young children.

Reading Level: 3-8

Shel Silverstein's poems will stay in my heart until the sidewalk ends. His poems are outrageously drole, silly beyond compare, and ridiculous enough for anybody old or young. One of my all-time favorites is
Sara Cynthia Silvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage out." From the author who penned the poignant tear-jerker "The Giving Tree," this collection is by far his best!

-Breton Kaiser Taylor

Shel Silverstein es el George R.R Martin de la poesía. Conté 12 muertos en este libro de poemas; incluyendo un niño que fue arrojado por un águila a un pozo de agua hirviendo, otro que fue devorado por una boa constrictor, un dentista devorado por un cocodrilo (luego de que dicho dentista torturara al cocodrilo arrancandole los dientes), y un extraño poema acerca de alguien que se comió un bebé.

Y esto es lo que algunos llaman "el mejor libro de poemas para niños jamás escrito", mientras que los canales de televisión infantiles ya no pasan El Coyote y el Correcaminos porque "incita a la violencia".

Pues déjenme decirles yo vi El Coyote y el Correcaminos un montón y mi salud mental no se vio afectada por eso, pero hubiese show more leído esto cuando niña (sobretodo el poema del dentista psicópata torturador) y mis padres aún me estuviesen pagando la terapia psicológica. show less

An 'oldie' but a 'goody' ... Shel Silverstein's classic belongs on everyone's bookshelf! Inside we meet Jimmy Jet and his TV set, Peggy Ann McKay (who's too sick to go to school today), Hector the Collector, the Dirtiest Man in the World, and of course, Sarah Cynthia Silva Stout (who would not take the garbage out!). There are unicorns, giants, dancing pants, gypsies and generals all awaiting waiting the reader.

Where the Sidewalk Ends is a place where your imagination begins and is stretched to it's limits by the combination of eccentric drawings and rhythmic, tongue-twisting poems that know no age, gender, ethnicity or status. There are poems from two-lined couplets to multi-page ballads, and many unique styles in between.

So in the show more words of Silverstein himself, "If you are a dreamer, come in ..." show less