A Giraffe and a Half [Hardcover]

Shel Silverstein (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Infectiously funny . . . a good nonsensical text and illustrations."

-- ' C

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: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (January 1, 1964)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060256567
• ISBN-13: 978-0060256562
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,268,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Silverstein, Shel

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

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, November 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A Giraffe and a Half (Hardcover)

One of the best children's books I've read. The rhymes are contagious. The story slides off your tongue as you read it. Children are taken with it. And then we create the game of adding new verses and rhymes for the giraffe, and a half.

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Giraffe & a Half :(), February 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Giraffe and a Half (Hardcover)

Giraffe and a half is great for kids that love repetition. Your child could learn to memorize better with this book. I really love this book and I would recommend getting other Shel Silverstein books because I have the whole collection.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, funny, exciting and makes you laugh., January 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Giraffe and a Half (Hardcover)

A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein is the bomb. We give it five thumbs up. It is a story that could go on forever. It is great, funny, exciting and makes you laugh. We recommend the book to everyone, even old people. It will make them laugh. We want all of Shel's books so we can read them everyday. They're books you want to keep forever.