Where The Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Written and Illustrated by Shel Silverstein

Harper and Row Publishers, 1974
166 pages
Poetry Book/Comedy and Humor

 

I remember enjoying this book of poems when I was a child, so when I rediscovered it at the local library, I was very excited! The illustrations in the book are great because they are very quirky. They remind me of  doodles you would see in someones notebook. The poems in this collection use very   descriptive language and are just silly, fun to read, and imaginative.

Shel Silverstein uses black and white pencil drawings for his illustrations in this poetry collection. The illustrations show a basic sketch of the main idea in each poem. They are not overly detailed; therefore, it allows the reader to imagine the poem in their own way. The poems are very quirky and I feel as though the illustrations reflect the tone of the text.

In my opinion, this collection is appropriate for any age. If the children are very young, they can still have the poems read to them and appreciate the rhythm of the words. Older children generally enjoy silly poems like this, so it would be great for them as well. However, it is listed as being in the interest level of 3rd to 5th grade. I think this story could be used as a tool for practicing fluency, a read aloud, or just for interest's sake while doing a study on poetry. This book won the 1974 New York Times Outstanding Book Award and the 1981 Michigan Young Readers' Award.