Every Thing On It
poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein
I wanted to have this review done in time for Banned Books Week, but I’m too late for that. Shel Silverstein has been banned and challenged frequently. Luckily, his works have been embraced by exponentially more people.
Who would have thought that 13 years after his death, we would be delighted with a fresh, new collection of Shel Silverstein poems and illustrations? Eliminated from previous titles simply because they didn’t “fit,” Every Thing On It is a collection of original Silverstein silly poems and rhymes that readers of all ages will love just as much as his other works.
Reading Every Thing On It makes me want to revisit his prior works and compare them. While the drawings and rhymes are still very much silly like his previous collections:
Lizard
A lizard in a blizzard
Got a snowflake in his gizzard
And nothing else much happened, I’m afraid,
But lizard rhymed with blizzard
And blizzard rhymed with gizzard
And that, my dear, is why most poems are made.
this collection is also very reflective. Kids today may not catch it, but kids who grew up with Silverstein will feel his words pierce their hearts and make them wonder if they shouldn’t try “growing down.” There was so much that I loved about these poems. It seemed like he knew when he wrote these years ago, they would be enjoy for generations after he was gone. Whether you belong to the first generation of Silverstein fans or you have recently discovered him, this collection is one that should not be missed. And I hope it inspires you, too.
Writesingtelldraw
I’ve told you a hundred tall stories,
I’ve sung you a thousand sweet songs,
I’ve wrote you a million ridiculous rhymes
(Though sometimes the grammar was wrong).
I’ve drawn you a zillion pictures,
So being as fair as can be,
After all that I’ve writtensungtolddrawn for you,
Won’t you writesingtelldraw one for me?
Image taken from http://www.amazon.com.
Tags: banned books, book review, children's books, drawings, poetry, shel silverstein
October 10, 2011 at 6:05 am |
I asked my mom why they ban books and she said it’s because people get offended by the message some books have and she thinks it isn’t right not to let everyone read even things that they may not like. What did people not like about Mr. Silverstein’s children’s books?
October 10, 2011 at 7:28 am |
Your mom is absolutely right! People should be free to choose whatever they want to read and let everyone else do the same. Silverstein’s books have been banned or challenged (someone tried to ban it, but didn’t succeed) for various reasons. This post has some of the examples: http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/09/29/banned-books-week-the-giving-tree.aspx
October 13, 2011 at 8:56 pm |
I am a retired school teacher who absolutely loves Shel Silverstein’s books. Many children who are slightly beyond nursery rhymes would not willingly read poems if not for poets like Mr. Silverstein. Can you imagine a nine year old boy reading “Ode to a Tree” or “How Do I Love Thee?”
January 31, 2012 at 12:01 pm |
[...] Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein A collection of original Shel Silverstein poems and drawings published post mortem? How could this not show up on my list! Silverstein’s poetry was essential to my development as a reader. But the most interesting part about this collection was how poignant and reflective it was. Like he knew how much he had impacted kids throughout his life, and that he was coming to the end. His silly words, however, will not. [...]