Customer Reviews

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings

5 star:		(153)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I remember this book in the second grade! Wow, that was a long time ago. I remember enjoying the poems very much. Well, I stumbled upon this book a few weeks ago and decided to read them again. It had been quite some time. I still enjoyed it just as much as when I was little, if not more. "Where the Sidewalk Ends" is a literary treat for all ages.

The poems are funny and sincere at the same time. I really enjoyed each and every poem. The drawings are also really good. Just to give you a little taste of my Silverstein's work, here's the very first poem I heard from this book when I was little called, "Hat." And it goes a little something like this:

Teddy said it was a hat,
So I put it on.
Now Dad is saying, "Where the heck's
the toilet plunger gone?"

That's only a SMALL taste of the wonders you will find in this book. My other favorites are "Hat," "Dancing Pants," "I Must Remember," "Warning," "Who," and "The Land of Happy." I'm sure there are many more, but that's all I can think of right now. Bottom line: EVERY poem is great.

Although this is really great for kids, I think this is something EVERYONE would enjoy. Young or old, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein is a fine read. One of my favorites.

(If you liked this one, check out "A Light in the Attic." Very good book as well.)

Would you like to meet Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who would not take the garbage out? Or Dirty Dan, the world's dirtiest man? Accept Shel Silverstein's invitation to come inside his delightful book full of outrageous poems and drawings. The unpredictable and humorous actions of each crazy character grabs readers' attention, keeping them engrossed in each poem, and craving for more. Elementary school-aged children will fall over laughing at Peggy Ann McKay's desperate attempt to avoid school, claiming, "I have the measles and the mumps, a gash, a rash, and purple bumps. My mouth is wet, my throat is dry, I'm going blind in my right eye." Silverstein's use of rhyme and nonsense verse combined with his constant humor captures the reader. His simple pen-and-ink drawings add to the imagery presented in each poem. The reader not only sees, but feels lazy Jane's dry mouth as she waits for it to rain. The application of alliteration, assonance, and consonance makes each poem a delight to read out loud; "For I've been down to the edge of the world, sat on the edge where the wild wind whirled." Some poems not only depict an array of humorous characters, but also create touching moments and offers good advice. Silverstein suggests playing hug o' war, rather than tug o' war, and assures young readers that, "Anything can happen, child, ANYTHING can be." Children ages nine to twelve will enjoy reading these well crafted poems that portray both ludicrous and poignant messages.

One of the best books of all time -- What more needs to be said? This is truly the most memorable book of my childhood. Smile after smile .... memory after memory. I agree with the reviewer here who says that "No child should grow up without this book!" ... It's fun to read, and makes some really good points about life!! Definitely a MUST HAVE at ANY age!!! Enjoy!

Shel Silverstein has done a wonderful thing with this book. He inspires children to read. My 3rd grade daughter was not too keen on sitting down to read a book, until she found this one in the library. She will sit down for hours now and read and reread all of the poems. Her favoriate is "Sick" the story of a little girl with every ailment you can think of - until she finds out it is Saturday. The poems are things that kids can relate to - and they are an easy and quick read. I recommend this book to everyone, but especially to those who are trying to inspire their young children with a love of reading

Sometimes I'll lay in bed before work and I'll recite in my head a poem I learned when I was 10 - I can not go to school today said little Peggy Anne McKay. I have the measles and the mumps, a gash, a rash and purple bumps... - and to this day I still retrieve my old copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends and read through Mr. Silverstein's compilation of poems. I will never tire of his genius musings and look forward to sharing them with my children, grandchildren, etc. I'm buying the audio format along with the book for my baby goddaughter for Christmas so that she can listen to Mr. Silverstein's voice narrating his wonderful collection, then read along when she gets old enough. I recommend this book for anyone who is looking for something imaginative, silly and timeless.

It is a really good book because there are a lot of great poems. My teacher read some of the poems to our class. I liked it so much that I took it out of my school library. I can't wait until my Mom and Dad buy this book for me.

This book is a good-spirited masterpiece, with wonderful poems that kids of all ages will enjoy. Light-hearted, sometimes downright hilarious pictures accompany each poem, and the drawings are sometimes the plot of the joke. The poetry in "Where the Sidewalk Ends" ranges in length from two or three lines to twenty or more. This is a delightful book to read a few poems out of each night to your little ones before bed.

My favorite aunt gave me this book as a child and all my children love this book! No child should grow up without these Poems. We have an anual Christmas Eve tradition in my family, and we all sit with all the presents around the tree...we sing, eat, then we all recite our favorite poems from this classic! It is funny how everybody seems to have different favoritesm, but I don't think there is a poem in there we miss.

Shel Silverstein does it again. This time with "Where the Sidewalk Ends". A great compelation of poems that will have you laughing throughout the day. When I first picked this book up, I couldn't put it down for its gripping the reader techniques with such humorous poems.

With characters in his poems ranging from any animal to any human, this book definitely has variety. I love the way Shel is able to rhyme things together and come up with such great stories in his poems......this is very evident in this book.

Most of th peoms run about half a page, some long, some short. All of course, though, have humor and really show the work put in to them. This poem book is one of Silverstein's finest and deserves some sort of award.

I want to thank Shel Silverstein for creating such a wonderful poem book and such great ideas that make you want to read the whole book in one sitting. That would definitely take time though it would be worth it.

As you can see, I really recommend anyone of any age buying this book so they can enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you for reading my review and have a nice day!!

My grandma got this book for my little 4 year old brother. When he asked me to read it to him, I wasn't too keen, but I ended up laughing till my sides ached too. Some of the poems are funny, touching, true or just plain ridiculous. My brothers favouite is Us (ya know I want too sleep, he has too pee!)I must admit, this book is great fun for all of the family and can be read over and over again!