Falling Up (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator) "I tripped on my shoelace And I fell up- Up to the roof tops, Up over the town, Up past the tree tops, Up over..." (more)
Key Phrases: Short-Leg Sue, Nentis Nan

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

All the things that children loved about A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends can be found in abundance in this eclectic volume, Silverstein's first book of poetry in 20 years. By turns cheeky and clever and often darkly subversive, the poems are vintage Silverstein, presented in a black-and-white format that duplicates his earlier books. Like Roald Dahl, Silverstein's cartoons and poems are humorously seditious, often giving voice to a child's desire to be empowered or to retaliate for perceived injustice: one child character wields a "Remote-a-Dad" that will instantly control his father, and another dreams of his teachers becoming his students so that when they talk or laugh in class, he can "pinch 'em 'til they [cry]." The poems focus on the unexpected-a piglet receives a "people-back ride" and Medusa's snake-hair argues about whether to be coifed in cornrows or bangs. Sometimes the art traffics in gross-out, as when William Tell gets an arrow through his forehead or a cartoon character sticks carrots in his sockets because he's heard that carrots are good for his eyes. Although some parents and teachers may cringe at such touches, Silverstein's anti-establishment humor percolates as he lampoons conventions (the stork not only brings babies but "comes and gets the older folks/ When it's their time to go"), or discards decorum (a small gardener zips up his pants after watering the plants "that way"). No matter that the author's rhythms and rhymes can be sloppy, or that his annoying insistence on leavin' off the endin' to his ING's seems artificially folksy, Silverstein's ability to see the world from, as he says, "a different angle" will undoubtedly earn this book a wide audience. All ages.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up?Fifteen years after A Light in the Attic (1981) and 22 years after Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974, both HarperCollins), Silverstein, whose poetry has achieved cultlike popularity, offers readers another collection. While bodily functions seem to be the source of humor in more poems than in the earlier titles, and while there are fewer wonderful images here, the child appeal is as strong as ever. Once again, Silverstein's pen-and-ink drawings are the perfect accompaniment to the poems, always extending and often explaining the words. The book abounds in energetic wordplay ("I saw an ol' gnome/Take a gknock at a gnat/Who was gnibbling the gnose of his gnu") and childlike silliness ("I only ate one drumstick/At the picnic dance this summer...But everybody's mad at me,/Especially the drummer"). Silverstein writes wonderful nonsense verse, but he has used rhyme and rhythm to greater effect in the past. There is much to love in Falling Up, but it has its ups and downs.?Kathleen Whalin, Greenwich Country Day School, CT
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 2nd printing edition (April 25, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060248025
• ISBN-13: 978-0060248024
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,195 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny poems!, February 18, 2003

By	G. McNutt "fantasy book addict" (WA, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What can I say, except my 10 year old fifth-grader who does not like to read much at all, enjoys reading this book of poems before going to bed each night. I am so grateful he enjoys reading them. I have read some of them outloud to him and they are funny, they ryhme and they have great imagination. If you have a child of any age, I recommend this book to expose him/her to the creative art of poetry and just because they're fun!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book For All Ages, December 6, 2002

By A Customer

I have read this book so many times I can't even count, and it never seems to get old. This book is full of great poems written by a great poet. I have read every one of his books and they all are wonderful. I recommend this book to anyone at any age who enjoys a poetry.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Falling Up, March 6, 2003

By	Eden Oralye Wack (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Falling up by Shel Sylverstien is one of the all time greatest poem books. This is a great book for someone who just wants to relax and enjoy reading something silly not serious. It is good to laugh and even better to laugh at what you are reading because at the same time you are working your brain as well as exercising your sense of humor. Mr. Sylverstien uses the most interesting words to express himself in his poems. It amazes me at how he can pull all of these funny things out of his head. There are so many great poems in this one book so that I could not possibly tell you about just one. Some of the poems are so outrageously funny and the few serious ones are still a little humorous which is what makes the poems so good. Shel wrights many poems and has published many books. It surprises me that all of these different ideas and feelings can come from one man. From a tattooed suit to a pet snowball, from a pencil made wrong to a world where things are completely opposite, even the stories that are about life lessons are still really good. Some books by Shel Sylverstien are Where The Sidewalk Ends, A Light In The Attic, and The Giving Tree. Those stories are just as good as Falling Up. The author Shel Sylverstien, the book, Falling up. It is an enjoyable read that can be found at most bookstores, libraries, and online.