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Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings
Including 12 New Poems!
If you are a dreamer, come in, If you are a dreamer, A wisher, a liar, A hope-er, a pray-er, A magic bean buyer . . .
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...more
If you are a dreamer, come in, If you are a dreamer, A wisher, a liar, A hope-er, a pray-er, A magic bean buyer . . .
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...more
Hardcover, 30th Anniversary Edition, 183 pages
Published
January 20th 2004
by HarperCollins Publishers
(first published 1974)
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His parents did well naming him Shel.
He never did care to conform.
What would compel a guy to rebel
If everyone knew him as Norm?
He never did care to conform.
What would compel a guy to rebel
If everyone knew him as Norm?
139 likes · like · see review
view all 38 comments
One of my most favorite authors of my youth, Silverstein does a most excellent job of tapping into the heart of a child. Whether it be a child's heart in an adult or an actual child, the result is the same: pure and simple joy. Silverstein excels not only in rhyming, but his use of adjectives in the English language when describing things such as "icky, stick, peanut butter sandwiches" makes this a joy not only to listen to, but to read out loud as well. I remember having it read to me for the f...more
13 likes · like · see review
Oct 04, 2011
Sita Sargeant
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Sita by:
My Dad
All I can say is that this book is amazing. This was the first book that my dad ever read to me and I loved it. I was re-reading it today and I normally don’t love books I loved when I was little, but this book is different. I still love it, there’s not much else I can say that people haven’t already said, so I am just going to end this super short review now.
P.S. If you haven’t read this before I recommend giving it a go, it is a nice fun, simple read that I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading.
P.S. If you haven’t read this before I recommend giving it a go, it is a nice fun, simple read that I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading.
27 likes · like · see review
I am crap at reciting from books. Sure, I know your super-famous opening lines and popular misquotations, but I don't really, like, pause in my reading to note a particularly nice turn of phrase so I can commit it to memory.
Which is odd, because I have always had a pretty good memory for the spoken word and, especially, lyrics. When I was little, my parents found this most amusing. They would hear me playing in my bedroom, singing random snatches of commercial jingles and songs from A Prairie Ho...more
Which is odd, because I have always had a pretty good memory for the spoken word and, especially, lyrics. When I was little, my parents found this most amusing. They would hear me playing in my bedroom, singing random snatches of commercial jingles and songs from A Prairie Ho...more
26 likes · like · see review
There's a polar bear - in the fridgedare - he likes it cuz its cold in there!
I wrote a report on this in the 6th grade and I still remember that by heart. That was the year I got braces and Chris N. butted in line when we were coming in from recess and I grabbed his arm and said "No Butting!" and he turned around and punched me in the face. The braces smashed into my lip and it bled so bad! I went to the bathroom with a girlfriend (I can't remember her anymore - isn't that strange?) and she trie...more
I wrote a report on this in the 6th grade and I still remember that by heart. That was the year I got braces and Chris N. butted in line when we were coming in from recess and I grabbed his arm and said "No Butting!" and he turned around and punched me in the face. The braces smashed into my lip and it bled so bad! I went to the bathroom with a girlfriend (I can't remember her anymore - isn't that strange?) and she trie...more
29 likes · like · see review
Mar 07, 2008
Austin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Austin by:
Almost Everyone
Every child eventually discovers the perverted old man who wrote songs for Johnny Cash, did illustrations for Playboy, appeared on the Dr. Demento show numerous times, and managed to get a few books published along the way.
For some reason, parents never seem to think this creepy old guy who was so fond of children was in any way "disturbing," something I'm continually impressed with in the "ban now, ask questions later" climate of modern culture. If there are people who don't like Shel Silverst...more
For some reason, parents never seem to think this creepy old guy who was so fond of children was in any way "disturbing," something I'm continually impressed with in the "ban now, ask questions later" climate of modern culture. If there are people who don't like Shel Silverst...more
20 likes · like · see review
Such an amazing book! This new addition has 12 new poems, and they fit in perfectly with our beloved favorites. The first poem, Invitation, sums the book up perfectly, and remains one of my favorite poems of all time:
Invitation
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!
And once you do, you'll never be the same. Awaken your silly...more
Invitation
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!
And once you do, you'll never be the same. Awaken your silly...more
16 likes · like · see review
Incredibly entertaining poems. I do a poem a week with my 2nd graders, and our current one is Melinda Mae. Let's see if I can remember it from the top of my head:
"Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae
who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could, she said she would
So she started in right at the tail.
And everyone said, 'You're much too small!'
But that didn't bother Melinda at all.
She took little bites and chewed very slow, just like a little girl should...
And in 89 years she ate that whale
Because...more
"Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae
who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could, she said she would
So she started in right at the tail.
And everyone said, 'You're much too small!'
But that didn't bother Melinda at all.
She took little bites and chewed very slow, just like a little girl should...
And in 89 years she ate that whale
Because...more
Feb 06, 2012
Erin Dixon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
eced-221,
future-teacher-shelf
SUMMARY: Where the Sidewalk Ends is a collection of poems by Shel Silverstein. All of the poems have a humorous tone to them, but a little bit of a moral at the end as well. All of the poems are about different scenarios and have no specific order that they need to be read in.
CRITIQUE: The majority of the poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends have some kind of rhyming pattern to them. However, the rhyme is not predictable; it is very fresh. A child reading this book would be able to determine the pat...more
CRITIQUE: The majority of the poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends have some kind of rhyming pattern to them. However, the rhyme is not predictable; it is very fresh. A child reading this book would be able to determine the pat...more
4 likes · like · see review
what i think about the book is every time i read it i think about myself growing up writing a kids poetry book. i would like to become a poet and i just cant stop reading this book is a great inspiration to people all over that would like to be a kids poet someday i hope to at least publish one poetry book for kids.i very much enjoyed the book.
4 likes · like · see review
Mommy and I are going through one poem at a time. So far I like it, but am rather confused by a few!!
6/27/08--My favorite poem so far is Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too! I love how is sounds when Mommy says it.
6/27/08--My favorite poem so far is Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too! I love how is sounds when Mommy says it.
I got into the Shel Silverstein craze after reading The Missing Piece Meets the Big O online. Good stuff. Fun books, some of them with good messages.
This particular book of his is a collection of poems, some with accompanying illustrations (he does both) that are "at once outrageously funny and profound." Some are just so weird, you have to laugh, or at least make a funny face because you have no idea what you just read. Some of them have messages embedded within (for example, why you shouldn't...more
This particular book of his is a collection of poems, some with accompanying illustrations (he does both) that are "at once outrageously funny and profound." Some are just so weird, you have to laugh, or at least make a funny face because you have no idea what you just read. Some of them have messages embedded within (for example, why you shouldn't...more
The back cover of the dust jacket to Where the Sidewalk Ends describes Shel Silverstein as the author of The Giving Tree and other books of prose and poetry. The brief bio then goes on to state that Silverstein "writes songs, draws cartoons, plays the guitar, and has a good time".
Ultimately, that's what Where The Sidewalk Ends is about--having a good time. The opening invitation to the book--a poem--encapsulates the feel and the tone of the book:
If you are a dreamer, come in.
If you are a dreamer...more
Ultimately, that's what Where The Sidewalk Ends is about--having a good time. The opening invitation to the book--a poem--encapsulates the feel and the tone of the book:
If you are a dreamer, come in.
If you are a dreamer...more
Apr 18, 2008
maricar
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
fiction-for-youngsters
quirky yet sentimental...
honestly i had reservations about picking up this book, poetry and me not really being the closest of buddies. then of course the fact that this was supposedly meant for toddlers and such (disdainful much??).
it wasn't long before i was shown the depths of my arrogance. hopefully never again...(but who knows).
okay. to the point. i ADORED this book.
a lot of the poetry here are funny (not outright hilarious, more like plain goofy), and yet come to think of it, still some o...more
honestly i had reservations about picking up this book, poetry and me not really being the closest of buddies. then of course the fact that this was supposedly meant for toddlers and such (disdainful much??).
it wasn't long before i was shown the depths of my arrogance. hopefully never again...(but who knows).
okay. to the point. i ADORED this book.
a lot of the poetry here are funny (not outright hilarious, more like plain goofy), and yet come to think of it, still some o...more
I have loved this book since I did a performance of one of the poems (I Cannot Go to School Today) when I was in like the sixth grade or something like that. I love how she uses the space on the page to tell some of the stories as well as the words. Her work is on the same level as Dr. Suess in my mind. I need to get it from the library to read it to Nolan. He would love it. I used it for my acting classes all of the time, but I had forgotten about it until you reminded me.
2 likes · like · see review
Shel Silverstein makes me think about the nature v. nurture debate. When I was a kid I really really loved his silly poems and even more so his fascinating, messily detailed illustrations. This interest led me into cartoons and comic books as a young adult and that interest stayed with me into my teens and early 20s. Now as a grownup(?) I'm still drawn to media with a sense of playfulness and whimsy, like digital graphics and street art. Im also always amazed at how good cartoons and animated ch...more
A more detailed review of this book and Shel Silverstein in general is visible on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.
I just don't love Shel Silverstein. Everyone I know just loves these poems, and thinks they are so fun/funny but... I just don't love it. I have a really hard time enjoying my time reading his poetry. Some of the poems are tons of fun, and just a hoot to read. Others just drag and are totally lost on me. There are usually great for kids (although I didn't much like them...more
I just don't love Shel Silverstein. Everyone I know just loves these poems, and thinks they are so fun/funny but... I just don't love it. I have a really hard time enjoying my time reading his poetry. Some of the poems are tons of fun, and just a hoot to read. Others just drag and are totally lost on me. There are usually great for kids (although I didn't much like them...more
I don't remember if this is the one that had the poem about Me-Stew or the Two Headed Dog or the Bendable Posable Strechable Foldable... man or not...That might have been Light in the Attic, but Still -- good gods Shel Silverstein, your poems changed the face of my middle school world. I don't know what that means exactly, but that's okay - your poems gave me the confidence to appreciate all things zany in public. Shel Silverstein is the best of absurdism and pathos in a nutshell balanced by ju...more
2 likes · like · see review
This is a funny book to read. It is a poem book. some of the poems you can probably relate to. some you might not relate to. This is a kind of book many peole will like.
Where The Sidewalk Ends is great for children I loved it when I was little I still love it to this day. These poems are not confusing, they are very easy for the young mind to grasp. The pictures that go with the poems are great, they are simple but so interesting. Most of the poems are fairly short so it is easy to keep a child intrigued. These poems are just silly goofy funny stories and they don't always make too much sense. I feel like when I read these poems they are kind of like Dr. Seuss...more
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein is a great book. I've read it along time ago with my sister. She used to read me the boook when i was younger but I never used to understand everything she used to read. And I have decided to read it again because it reminded me of old times and i actually wanted to understand the poems. When I read the book it makes me happy. It is written in poetry with pictures to go along with it. There are many different poems and there are a lot thats what i lik...more
1 like · like · see review
Apr 22, 2013
Megan Piero
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reading-like-a-writer
Although this book is a collection of poems, for the purpose of this assignment, I read "Lazy Jane".
In this poem, Shel Silverstein incorporates two different aspects of craft. Both uses of craft playfully extend and stretch out the time span of the poem. The first aspect is the visual structure of this poem. He writes only one word on each line of this poem. To me, even though this is a short poem, the structure of it makes it seems longer. As readers, we naturally take a short pause after each...more
In this poem, Shel Silverstein incorporates two different aspects of craft. Both uses of craft playfully extend and stretch out the time span of the poem. The first aspect is the visual structure of this poem. He writes only one word on each line of this poem. To me, even though this is a short poem, the structure of it makes it seems longer. As readers, we naturally take a short pause after each...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
“If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar. A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!”
If you are any of the above-er, Shel Silverstein’s warm, open invitation into the pages of his second collection of poetry for children is for you. Let your imagination runaway with the help of short and to the point funny descriptions of everyday activities and three page narra...more
If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!”
If you are any of the above-er, Shel Silverstein’s warm, open invitation into the pages of his second collection of poetry for children is for you. Let your imagination runaway with the help of short and to the point funny descriptions of everyday activities and three page narra...more
" 'I cannot go to school today,'
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more - that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue -
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move...more
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more - that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue -
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move...more
This poem book includes many random poems ranging from real life things that could actually happen to things that the reader would never want to happen. The target audience is children but people of all ages could enjoy these poems.
Some of the poems are believable while others aren’t. Example: Eighty-pound rats don’t really exist, but for a second Shel Silverstein makes the reader believe they do. The poems are random so there isn’t a dramatic question to be asked. The conclusion is a poem about...more
Some of the poems are believable while others aren’t. Example: Eighty-pound rats don’t really exist, but for a second Shel Silverstein makes the reader believe they do. The poems are random so there isn’t a dramatic question to be asked. The conclusion is a poem about...more
Interest Level: 3-5th Grades
Lexile Level: N/A
Genre: Poetry
Setting: N/A
Main Characters: N/A
Point of View: 1st Person
Summary: Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" is a collection of a variety of poems. Some of the poems such as "Hug-o-War" encourage children to get along with one another. It emphasizes hugging instead of tugging and it allows children to see that it's better for everyone to win in real life. Other poems such as Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle me too are silly poems that are go...more
Lexile Level: N/A
Genre: Poetry
Setting: N/A
Main Characters: N/A
Point of View: 1st Person
Summary: Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" is a collection of a variety of poems. Some of the poems such as "Hug-o-War" encourage children to get along with one another. It emphasizes hugging instead of tugging and it allows children to see that it's better for everyone to win in real life. Other poems such as Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle me too are silly poems that are go...more
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Genre: Poetry
Summary: this is a collection of poetry and drawings by famed children’s poet, Shel Silverstein. In one aspect, the poems are relatable because some deal with everyday situations turned into something crazy through the language used. In other instances, the poems are not relatable at all, but are appealing to children (and even adults) because of the silly and imaginative styles Silverstein uses to make his poetry come alive. Most of the po...more
Genre: Poetry
Summary: this is a collection of poetry and drawings by famed children’s poet, Shel Silverstein. In one aspect, the poems are relatable because some deal with everyday situations turned into something crazy through the language used. In other instances, the poems are not relatable at all, but are appealing to children (and even adults) because of the silly and imaginative styles Silverstein uses to make his poetry come alive. Most of the po...more
In my opinion, Shel Silverstein is one of the best authors of all time. He seems to have a way of writing stories that are so outrageous, and yet so captivating for any age audience. I loved this book as a story. Hearing little poems about situations that can never happen in real life is just so interesting to me. I love the fact that he can create a world in his poems that are so fun and interesting that I never want to put down the book. In some rhyming stories and some not, I was beyond in lo...more
Shel Silverstein is one author/illustrator who sticks out in my mind from when I was a little girl. His precious poems and other children's books are very dear to me, and this collection of poems, Where the Sidewalk Ends is still on my bookshelf today.
Where the Sidewalk Ends is a large collection of poems written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. Most of his poems are humorous, making the reader laugh out loud at times, but manage to have a little bit of moral to them as well. There are poe...more
Where the Sidewalk Ends is a large collection of poems written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. Most of his poems are humorous, making the reader laugh out loud at times, but manage to have a little bit of moral to them as well. There are poe...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What is your favorite Shel Silverstein poem or story? | 69 | 184 | May 21, 2013 08:28pm | |
| Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein | 8 | 55 | May 18, 2013 04:30pm | |
| ** Audio Books... Yay or Nay...?!?!? | 31 | 107 | Feb 22, 2013 07:33pm | |
| e Love Poems Call for Submissions | 1 | 17 | Jan 09, 2013 06:34am |
Shel Silverstein was the author-artist of many beloved books of prose and poetry. He was a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter.
More about Shel Silverstein...
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9 trivia questions
1 quiz
More quizzes & trivia...
1 quiz
“I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.”
—
718 people liked it
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.”
“My skin is kind of sort of brownish pinkish yellowish white. My eyes are greyish blueish green, but I'm told they look orange in the night. My hair is reddish blondish brown, but its silver when its wet, and all the colors I am inside have not been invented yet.”
—
492 people liked it
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