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Where the Sidewalk Ends
The Poems & Drawings of Shel Silverstein
First published 1974 · 183 pages
A whimsical invitation to leave the rigid rules of reality behind and embrace the joyful absurdity of childhood.
What it feels like
Reading this collection feels like being handed a secret map to a world where the rules of gravity, logic, and polite society no longer apply. The pace is wonderfully brisk, inviting you to flip from one zany scenario to the next, though the rhythm of the verse often demands to be read aloud just to feel the bounce of the words. It is an atmosphere steeped in joyful rebellion and boundless imagination, where irreverent humor sits comfortably next to sudden, tender profundity. The deceptively simple rhymes and iconic line drawings create a nostalgic, sunlit mood that feels both timeless and deeply personal. It is a perfect sanctuary for dreamers, misfits, and anyone who remembers the magic of looking at the world slightly sideways.
- Mood
- zany
- nostalgic
- imaginative
- joyful
- Tone
- playful
- irreverent
- whimsical
- subversive
- tender
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- childhood imagination · absurdity of adult rules · embracing the weird · power of dreaming · wordplay and nonsense
- The writing
- Bouncy, rhythmic, and deceptively simple verse that begs to be read aloud, perfectly matched with minimalist, expressive line drawings.
- The arc
- A bouncing, unpredictable journey through hilarious absurdity that occasionally pauses for moments of quiet, profound sweetness.
- Who it's for
- Children discovering the rebellious joy of poetry and adults seeking a nostalgic return to unbridled, rule-breaking imagination.
Content notes
- mild gross-out humor
- cartoonish peril
About the book
If you are a dreamer, come in, If you are a dreamer, A wisher, a liar, A hope-er, a pray-er, A magic bean buyer... Come in... for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist. Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound. This special edition has 12 extra poems the did not appear in the original collection. - Jacket flap.
Description from Open Library.
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