Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein
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recommends it for:
kids and parents and poetry lovers
I remember we (friends and I) had soooo much fun reading shel silverstien together when I was a wee kiddy, (8,10yrs old?) Gosh, can you even get him in Malaysia? Cause he's jewish? and Where the wild things are my favorite kid's book of all time, from where my tatoo comes from Maurice Sendak?
The absence of all things and people remotely jewish, while traveling in Malaysia ...more
The absence of all things and people remotely jewish, while traveling in Malaysia ...more
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A couple of Silverstein's absolute classics are here, including "Boa Constrictor" and "Peanut-Butter Sandwich" plus MY favorite, "sarah slyvia cynthia stout would not take the garbage out." The Christmas I gave Silverstein books to my grandchildren I couldn't make a choice so ended up giving two, Where the Sidewalk Ends & A Light in the Attic.
Boa Constrictor ...more
Boa Constrictor ...more
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recommended to Austin by:
Almost Everyone
recommends it for: Everyone
recommends it for: 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 pe...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 pe...more
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Read in January, 1990
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 t...more
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 t...more
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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 ...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 ...more
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Read in January, 1985
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 animate...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 1990
recommends it for:
Parents, teachers, kids!
As a parent, this was one of the only poetry books that REALLY held the interest of my children. As a teacher, there are so many fun things that can be done with the material in this book. Most importantly, this is the kind of book that can change the mindset of those who believe that poetry is always dry and boring. So many real-life issues are presented in a way that allows us (and our children and students) to know that the things that they feel and think and imagine and experience are OK,...more
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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 ...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 ...more
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Read in January, 2007
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 s...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 s...more
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children's literature is a vast world where much of the child's developing imagination could be set aside, away from creativity, and into the constructs of adult fantasy where life's moral ethics are reinforced through fairy-tales and other hierarchy constructs that regulate how a child "should" behave. silverstein is completely aware of the need for children to explore literature that is not contextualized under the right and wrong patterns of adult life.
where the sidewalk...more
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I remember having to fight with kids in elementary school to check this out from the library. It became such an issue that the librarians had to create a list just for the Shel Silverstein books, and I queued up over and over again. For me these poems and illustrations were so subversive.. something that our parents and teachers probably didn't want us reading but they had to, because it was a book, and isn't that something they were supposed to be fostering in children.. a love of books? An ear...more
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Read in January, 1986
Once when I was on a field trip, I decided to play the headless horseman. I pulled my coat UP over my head and turned to whoever was sitting next to me and said "I'm the headless horseman." Mrs. Mahaffy turned to me and said don't do that it's dangerous." I pulled my coat down and asked "How?" She said, "It just IS, take this book--you're making me nervous." She gave it to me and I read it hungrily. I loved it immediately (though I love the ...attic...bo...more
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recommends it for:
those who enjoy laughing
I remember just loving these quirky, quick poems when I was a kid. In fact, 2 of my friends and I memorized one and performed it for our class as an English assignment one year. And I will NEVER forget 'sick' little Peggy Ann McKay!
The kids at my K-2 school library love this book, all of my copies are falling to pieces because they are checked out so much! I know there are a couple of *ahem* inappropriate [?] or silly pictures scattered in the book, but I hope my students are excited about ...more
The kids at my K-2 school library love this book, all of my copies are falling to pieces because they are checked out so much! I know there are a couple of *ahem* inappropriate [?] or silly pictures scattered in the book, but I hope my students are excited about ...more
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I think the reason Silversteins books were and are such a hit with children is because in the time where everyone(parents, teachers, peers and media) is pushing them(the kids) to be serious and 'grow up', Silversteins words are like rays of sunshine, reminding them that its ok to be childish and to beleive in fun and 'nonsense'.
Like children, Silverstein probably beleived that just because grown-ups can't make sense of something, it doesn't mean it's nonsense. His words and creations awaken th...more
Like children, Silverstein probably beleived that just because grown-ups can't make sense of something, it doesn't mean it's nonsense. His words and creations awaken th...more
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I will forever carry with me the joy of hearing my mother read...
"Here's to the dancing pants
doing their fabulous dance..."
I have inadvertently copied the cadence and tone of her voice every time I read it to my children. It feels like I am carrying a small tidbit of my childhood into their childhood. Perhaps they will read it to their children the way I read it to them.
I am still amazed at how many of Silverstein's poems I can recite from memory all these years later....more
"Here's to the dancing pants
doing their fabulous dance..."
I have inadvertently copied the cadence and tone of her voice every time I read it to my children. It feels like I am carrying a small tidbit of my childhood into their childhood. Perhaps they will read it to their children the way I read it to them.
I am still amazed at how many of Silverstein's poems I can recite from memory all these years later....more
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there is a place where the sidewalk ends
and before the street begins,
and there the grass grows soft and white,
and there the sun burns crimson bright,
and there the moon-bird rests from his flight
to cool in the peppermint wind.
let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
and the dark street winds and bends.
past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
and watch where the chalk-white arrows go
to the place where the side...more
and before the street begins,
and there the grass grows soft and white,
and there the sun burns crimson bright,
and there the moon-bird rests from his flight
to cool in the peppermint wind.
let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
and the dark street winds and bends.
past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
and watch where the chalk-white arrows go
to the place where the side...more
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recommended to Brittany by:
Patrick K.
recommends it for: kids, teachers, non-reader types
recommends it for: kids, teachers, non-reader types
Whimsical and humorous, Silverstein creates an accessible collection of poems that appeals to literally any age group. Kids enjoy the cartoons, also drawn by Silverstein, and the simple, fun rhyme schemes. Older readers will be drawn to his sense of humor, wit, and golden tidbits of truth, tucked away tidily in his short verse stanzas. With a writing style one part Dr. Seuss, one part Willie Wonka, Silverstein's classic book showcases his talent for writing unpretentiously and hilariously about ...more
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Read in January, 1991
The poems in the book are so unique and I swear I can still recite some! I used to read them for the kids I monitored for in elementary school while they were lining up to go home and they would be hysterical laughing, and screaming out the words that came next - it's pure joy! I remember the one that went: I cannot go to school today said little Peggy Ann McCay. I have measels and the mumps, a gash, a rash, and purple bumps....and then it turns out it's Saturday and she's like Oh, I'm going ...more
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I put this book on the list because this is the book that started it all. I taught myself to read by memorizing one of the poems in this book--an epic one for a five year old girl--"The Peanut Butter Sandwich King," I believe. My mom and my sister would read it to me every night and I learned to match the words I remembered with the characters on the page. It remains, to this day, one of my all time favorites.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.38 (45333 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.38 (43848 ratings) number of reviews: 1418popular shelves
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