Don't Bump the Glump!: And Other Fantasies [Hardcover]

Shel Silverstein (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 1 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

It's a zoo in here!

Have you ever . . .
Seen a Gritchen in your kitchen?
Dared to dance with the One-Legged Zantz?
Declined to dine with the Glub-Toothed Sline?

You haven't? Well then, step inside—but only if you are ready to be amazed, tickled, astonished and entertained by this most unusual bestiary of silly and scary creatures.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Back in 1964—the same year that his Giving Tree was published—Silverstein's first poetry collection appeared; it was also his only children's book to contain full-color art. Reissued in a slightly larger trim size, this collection of 45 poems tours readers past imaginary creatures, beginning with a being that looks remarkably like a fedora but for the jaw subtly poking below one side of the brim and the four tiny feet beneath: This is the Quick-Disguising Ginnit./ Didn't he have you fooled for a minute? There's no question that the intensity of Silverstein's watercolor palette adds to the fun: the gradations in the hat, for example, distract from the ginnit details; more typically, they supply a punch that complements the puckish but simple shapes of Silverstein's silly beasts (The Pointy-Peaked Pavarius,/ A creature most gregarious,/ Who's never taken serious,/ Poor thing). Silly doesn't mean unsophisticated, by the way: most of the work was first published in Playboy. All ages. (Mar.)
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About the Author

Shel Silverstein is 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.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Reissue edition (March 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061493384
• ISBN-13: 978-0061493386
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Humorous

More About the Author

"And now, children, your Uncle Shelby is going to tell you a story about a very strange lion- in fact, the strangest lion I have ever met." So begins Shel Silverstein's very first children's book, Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. It's funny and sad and has made readers laugh and think since it was published in 1963. It was followed the next year by three more books. The first of them, The Giving Tree, is a moving story about the love of a tree for a boy. Shel returned to humor the same year with A Giraffe and a Half, delighting readers with a most riotous ending. The third book in 1964 was Uncle Shelby's Zoo Don't Bump the Glump! and Other Fantasies, Shel's first poetry collection, and his first and only book illustrated in full color. It combined his unique imagination and bold brand of humor in this collection of silly and scary creatures. Shel's second collection of poems and drawings, Where the Sidewalk Ends, was published in 1974. His recording of the poems won him a Grammy for best Children's Album. In this collection, Shel invited children to dream and dare to imagine the impossible, from a hippopotamus sandwich to the longest nose in the world. With his next collection of poems and drawings, A Light in the Attic, published in 1981, Shel asked his readers to turn the light on in their attics, to put something silly in the world, and not to be discouraged by the Whatifs. Instead he urged readers to catch the moon or invite a dinosaur to dinner- to have fun! A Light in the Attic was the first children's book to break onto the New York Times Bestseller List, where it stayed for a record-breaking 182 weeks. The last book that was published before his death in 1999 was Falling Up (1996). Like his other books, it is filled with unforgettable characters. Shel Silverstein's legacy continued with the release of a new work,Runny Babbit, the first posthumous publication conceived and completed before his death and released in March 2005. Witty and wondrous, Runny Babbit is a poetry collection of simple spoonerismsH, which twist the tongue and tease the mind. Don't Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies was recently reissued in 2008 after being unavailable for over 30 years. Shel was always a believer in letting his work do the talking for him--few authors have ever done it better.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A read-aloud classic returns, April 12, 2008

By 

Julie Neal (Sanibel Island, Fla.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Don't Bump the Glump!: And Other Fantasies (Hardcover)

The late Shel Silverstein's silliness is on full display in this classic 1964 collection of poems about monsters. Silverstein channelled Dr. Seuss in his use of made-up words for imaginary creatures: The Gletcher, the wild Gazite, the Gross-Bottomed Grood. The topper? The unpronounceable Zrbangdraldnk, the name for what basically is just a big lumpy face with feet.

Most of the poems are illustrated with wonderfully loose pen-and-ink drawings swirled with watercolors. The translucent paint looks wet; you can see brush strokes and places where the colors have seeped together. Often the paint doesn't stay inside the line. In fact, I don't think it ever does. But then, I guess when you're painting a Glump, a certain looseness is appropriate.

My favorite poem here:

The Slithergadee has crawled out of the sea.
He may catch all the others, but he won't catch me.
No you won't catch me, old Slithergadee,
You may catch all the others, but you wo---

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of playful language., March 20, 2008

By 

Robert Busko (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Don't Bump the Glump!: And Other Fantasies (Hardcover)

I am so glad to see this old standard by a master writer back in print. Shel Silverstein was such a treasure for readers of all ages but especially children. I have a copy coming for my granddaughter who is a book lover at 3.

What makes Silverstein's books so wonderful is the playful use of language in a poetical environment. My youngest daughter put many of Silverstein's poems to memory and impressed those around her when she would take to reciting.

Don't Bump the Glump deserves to be in every childs bedroom.

Peace to all.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Shel Silverstein is a star, May 15, 2008

By 

Jason A. Teeple "Nobody made a greater mistak... (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Don't Bump the Glump!: And Other Fantasies (Hardcover)

This is his first work. The pictures and rhymes are good, but not as fantastic as his other work. Only get this if you are interested in collecting all his work, otherwise some of his other titles are better.