THE MISSING PIECE [Paperback]

Shel Silverstein (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: HarperCollins (1976)
• ASIN: B000OA7XBU
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)

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

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Human Spirit Captured in the Simplicity of a Circle!, July 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Missing Piece (An Ursula Nordstrom Book) (Hardcover)

Shel Silverstein's "The Missing Piece" is truly entertaining, capturing the essence of the human spirit in the simplicity of a circle.

Like a person searching for his 'soul mate', the Circle is happy in life, but feels incomplete, and longs for the day when it will finally find what it has been missing.

We see the Circle finding many pieces, all perfectly fine alone, but just not the right fit with our Circle. Some are too large, or too small, or too pointy. Still, the Circle doesn't give up. It just merrily rolls along, talking to a worm, or smelling a flower, and singing its song. Human beings, like the circle, find that they have many relationships with other people who just aren't right for them, the 'halves' don't fit together right, shall we say.

Silverstein has created a remarkably versatile story that when read to children, is a lovely tale they will request to hear nightly, ( much like Shel's other fantabulous works) yet when read by adults, carries a hidden meaning, another story tucked away between the lines that so carefully reflect our own souls in their tightly connected thoughts.

I always enjoy the simplicity Shel Silverstein creates, and would highly recommend this story to all those who have ever longed for the perfect relationship, been in it, lost it or have it. As well, anyone wishing to fulfill both her and her child's reading desires with a wholesome, entertaining tale. It is definitly a wonderful piece of work!

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make sure to get the sequel too!, April 16, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Ames, Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Missing Piece (An Ursula Nordstrom Book) (Hardcover)

Yes, the artwork is simple, but that's missing the point. The Missing Piece means even more to me as a college student then it did as a child. EVERYONE should read this book (along with its sequel The Missing Piece Meets the Big O)every 5 years. Together they are a testament to individualism, and the idea that life is in the journey, not the destination.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Missing Piece, September 5, 2005

By 

Lauren Elizabeth Trimeloni (Ligonier, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Missing Piece (An Ursula Nordstrom Book) (Hardcover)

One of the best books I've found to remind people, young and old, that they have to be their own piece long before they can be anyone else's! Happiness comes from the inside, and Mr. Silverstein demonstrates that elegantly and precisely in this beautiful life lesson, disguised as a children's book. A must-have for readers of all ages!