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 not take the garbage out. It is a place where you … you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.
Shel Silverstein’s masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound.
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Funny and they made me laugh most of them
this bookk is such a funny book
Love this book! I’ve had this book since I was a kid, but still enjoy it as an adult. Highly recommend.
There is nothing better than reading this with a child or grandchild.
Wonderful poems!
I’ve enjoyed the book since I was a kid, but there was always a tone that I picked up from it that was almost melancholy. I read it the first time around the time that I read “Where the Wild Things Are.” Wild Things gives me more of a sense of childlike happiness. That melancholy association I have with “Where the Sidewalk Ends” is why I appreciate the book each time I read it, but am not as excited for the reread as I am with others.
I was laughing out loud at how cute these illustrations and poems were! They were an absolutely perfect pairing. I remember a time when I was in school, and teachers were recommending this book to elementary students as an introduction to poetry. This is perfect for very young children, they will enjoy the rhymes. As an adult, I just had to have a copy for myself! I love these poems.
Book Review
4+ of 5 stars to Where the Sidewalk Ends, a collection of poetry published in 1974 by Shel Silverstein. What a wonderful book to read with children at any age; that is, both any age for the reader and the children! I first read this book when I was about 10-years-old, and then again in college. From the brilliant characters to the alliteration and rhyme, to the memorable lines and funny situations, it’s one of those books where you will find something new each time you read it.
I cannot imagine being this creative. I can dream up stories about real people and situations and have written several, but to have an imagination where animals and things can talk, have emotions, interact in peculiar ways… to find the words to compare and contrast… to describe and draw precious creations… is true talent. I admire Silverstein’s massive fantasy world of freedom. He was so unconstrained in his ability to develop a world with just enough charm and beauty to win us all over. It’s a book all about perception, but without taking the didactic and pedantic approach.
Children see things differently than adults. Adults have limits. Children have experiences. But what happens on the other side… where something is too far to see, or too close to imagine? Who lives in the crack between cement blocks? The world of freedom does… and that’s where Silverstein wants us to go, where we are all equal, without preconceived notions… to be able to explore as if we are seeing something for the first time… and connecting with everyone around us. That’s how to motivate readers with this book… children learning to see more than what they actually see.
I could go on and on… but I’ll stop. It’s just a wonderful way to learn.