Every Thing On It: Poems and Drawings, by Shel Silverstein

Janet finishes off the week with some fine poetry.

Just published, Every Thing On It, is a magical collection of poems and drawings that my kids, your kids, – and of course each of us who are still a kid at heart- will enjoy. The collection is quintessential Shel Silverstein – poems that are funny, sentimental and often completely off the wall. Silverstein, a poet and artist, well known for Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and The Giving Tree, died in 1999. He left behind over 1000 completed, yet never published, poems and drawings that have been assembled by his family and released here for the first time.

Shel Silverstein helped me bring a love of poetry to my kids. His straightforward, ridiculous, and endearing style always made for a great read aloud and some of his lines we still remember.

He had a knack for knowing how to get a kid’s attention, and sometimes pass a message along without it seeming like a message at all. As in all of his work his pencil drawings bring each poem to life adding to the reading experience. Who else creates wonderfully imaginative and engaging titles such as “Garlic Breath” or Twenty-eight Uses for Spaghetti” that immediately draw you in and demand attention.

The last poem appearing in this new collection, entitled “When I Am Gone” reminds us that Silverstein he is still very much with us and here for another generation of readers young and old to discover either as a solitary reader, listening in a classroom, or sitting together as a family.

When I Am Gone

When I am gone what will you do?
Who will write and draw for you?
Someone smarter- someone new?
Someone better- maybe YOU!

Looking for a special gift for a child this holiday season? Couple this new Silverstein collection with one of his older, favorite titles. You might even offer to read it together as part of the gift. Neither of you will be disappointed.

Check the WRL catalog for Everything On It