Last night, while I lay thinking here,
Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear And pranced and partied all night long And sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me? . . .
Here in the attic of Shel Silverstein you will find Backward Bill, Sour Face Ann, the Meehoo With an Exactlywatt, and the Polar Bear in the Frigidaire. You will talk with the Broiled Face, and find out what happens when someone steals your knees, you get caught by the Quick-Digesting Gink, a mountain snores, and they’ve put a brassiere on the camel.
With 12 never-before-published poems, here is a special edition of this beloved poetry collection, from the creator of Where the Sidewalk ends and Falling Up.
Shel Silverstein is the author-artist of many beloved books of prose and poetry. He was a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter.
Shel Silverstein is the author-artist of many beloved books of prose and poetry. He was a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter.
It's a testament to Silverstein's abilities as a cartoonist and storyteller that he was able to endow such subjects with just the right silliness and humor, endearing him to both children and adults. In collections such as the classic Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up, Silverstein makes poems into page-turners -- aided in no small part by his grungy, whimsical black-and-white drawings. He also displays a tenderhearted understanding for kids' fears and peccadilloes; one poem in A Light in the Attic, for example, all but endorses nailbiting: "It's a nasty habit, but ... I have never ever scratched a single soul."
A lifelong writer and illustrator, Silverstein had been a cartoonist for an army newspaper in Korea in the 1950s, and then a contributor to magazines. Like many succesful writers for children, Silverstein never planned to author children's books. Ironically, his first attempt at the genre -- the book that established the one-time Playboy cartoonist as a school library fixture -- is something of an anomaly in his ouevre: The Giving Tree. This bittersweet story of a tree that ultimately sacrifices itself -- down to the stump -- to the boy she loves over the course of his life was initially rejected by Silverstein's editor. Of course, it has gone on to be a great, if sentimental, success. But it was Where the Sidewalk Ends, Silverstein's straightforward collection of crooked poems, that cemented his place as a must-read for the young and young at heart. Silverstein bristled at comparisons to fellow "nonsense poet" Edward Lear, preferring instead to cite his former teacher, Robert Cosbey, as an influence.
It's worth looking at some of Silverstein's less well-known picture books, such as Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? and Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back, as examples of how funny (and how subversive) Silverstein could be. In Lafcadio, the ultimate anti-hunting story, a lion learns to become such a good marksman that he provides "hunter rugs" for his fellow lions and ends up touring as a celebrity. Lafcadio soon gets bored with his opulent life, and what used to be thrilling no longer is: "This morning I went up and down in the elevator 1,423 times," he cries at one point. "IT'S OLD STUFF!"
In later years, Silverstein turned more attention to dramatic writing. Titles such as The Lady and the Tiger, Wild Life and The Devil and Billy Markham were produced with varying degrees of success, and some are still being staged by small theater groups. Silverstein also wrote a well-received screenplay, Things Change, with pal David Mamet in 1988.
Still, Silverstein's poetry is what remains his most popular contribution. His verse gave kids permission to be a little grown-up for a while, and (just as importantly) let adults experience the not-always-simple perspective of children.
Silverstein wrote several songs. His country-western song "A Boy Named Sue" was a hit for Johnny Cash in 1969. His song for Postcards From the Edge, "I'm Checkin' Out," was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
I bought this book for a relative in first grade who had just started to read. I figured that most of the poems would be above her reading level, but they would be fun to listen to and would inspire her to learn to read them herself. It was received with great enthusiasm.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 17, 2008
I think a light in the attic is a great poetry book and Shel Silverstein is an awesome poet. His books are great for kids and really bring out your imagination. Shel¿s poems have many lessons in them but he shows them in a funny ways. For example in the poem ladies first there is a little girl that wants to be first at every thing then every one gets kidnapped and is going to be eaten by a cannibal named Fry-em up Dan and the little girl runs up and says ladies first. The lesson in this poem is to not always want to be first. My favorite poem is ¿Homework Machine¿ I think its funny how the kids spend so much time making a machine and when they try it doesn¿t work I think his illustrations go great with his poems. His illustrations show the funny things you would think of after reading his poem, for example in the poem ¿Wild Strawberries¿ his picture has a strawberry with big pointy teeth. I think A Light in the Attic and all the rest of Shel¿s poetry books and would recommend them to everybody.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 7, 2008
A Light in the Attic is a great poetry book for young kids. It has great pictures to help young readers understand the poem. Poems by Shel Silverstein portray hidden messages and tell great stories. She uses a lot of ironic, clever ideas to describe what is happening in his poems. A good example of this is a poem called ¿Hammock¿ that tells the reader how a boy¿s grandma sends him a hammock and the good lord sends the breeze, but he only has on tree. The poem ¿Stop Thief¿ he uses the title of the poem so literally in the illustration about the poem. The picture shows amazed when somebody stole his knees, but he can¿t chase the guy who stole hi knees because he¿s afraid hi feet and legs just won¿t connect. The poem ¿Surprise¿ is about everywhere his grandpa goes he sends a different animal. Like his grandpa goes to Myrtle Beach and the boy gets a turtle. My favorite poem is called ¿Hiccup Cure¿ I like this poem because it says you have to do all this crazy stuff to get rid of the hiccups. When the person is done telling him what to do he still has the hiccups. While reading this poem I made a connection because I know a lot of people that get the hiccups and they bug them so much. I think kids will like this book even more if they have to do a report on it. All of Shel¿s books are so hard to put down because you get so hooked on the first poem you just keep reading and reading.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BigEasyBookreader
Posted January 4, 2013
I first gave one of Shel Silverstein's books of goofy kid poems to my young nieces many years ago. What I liked about the poems was they often featured a bit of sedition, about kids that wanted to eat the wrong food or run away from home or pick their nose, etc. Other poems were about goofy people. Others were just silly or absurdist. Kids love this stuff! Now I am working on the next generation and I give these books to the children of nieces, etc. The books continue to be big hits. Read the poems to/with kids, and just listen to the squeals.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.SashaNicole
Posted July 12, 2011
I remember my teachers in school reading story after story from this book from preschool all the way up until middle school. Some of my fondest elementary school memories are from this book. Everyone can find a story that they can relate to in this book. It is a treasure to have around and definitley worth passing down to the younger generations.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.SophiaCupCake
Posted June 2, 2011
A Light in the Attic is the first poetry book I ever read. I really enjoyed it!! All the poems were full of expression and very, very thoughtful! Shel Silverstein is not only a great writer but also a great cartoonist, the book is full of amazing and very funny drawings. It was very difficult to decide which poem was my favorite, I seemed to love them all. Kids my age(8)should never miss a book like that.
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Posted June 2, 2011
The poems of A Light in the Attic are a lot of fun. Some of them are laugh-outlout funny. My favorite poem is "Shaking" because it is about making a milkshake by shaking a cow. I think kids and adults of all ages would really love this fun poetry collection.
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Posted June 2, 2011
If you have to read poetry book then read A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein. It is funny, hilarious and different. It is like reading a joke book but in poetry. Each poem in the book tells a story or a point but with a funny twist to it. Like the babysitter who thinks she has to sit upon a baby. Another poem is Prayer for a Selfish Child where the author changes a nightly prayer to that of a selfish child praying for his toys to break so he doesn't have to share with others. My favorite poem is Turtle. It is about a turtle that doesn't eat and doest move. I won't say the end or why but you will definitely laugh. So if you want to laugh and think and have to read a poetry book this is your answer.
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Posted June 1, 2011
A Light in the Attic Book Review
I really like this book for many reasons. It was funny because the author sometimes used words that are not in the dictionary. The author exaggerates when he writes the poems and makes them sound silly. I also liked it because he used words like "Exactlywatt" and "GooLoo". Reading some of the poems makes you imagine and wonder if it did happen or could happen. Some of the poems do not make sense, like " missing your knees" or "having green chest hair". My favorite poem was "How not to have to dry the dishes" it rhymes in a creative way. I recommend this poem book to everyone of all ages.
Hope you like it!
Emily Billoch
danielAC
Posted June 1, 2011
I think that book is funny and understandable for children. I think that Shel Silverstein is one of the best authors for children's poems. The poems always made me want to keep reading. The book also made me want to read more of his books. Everytime I am bored I always read those poems. My favorite poem is somethings missing. I like it because the funny part is that he has no underwear that's what I like
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 1, 2011
I thought the poetry book A Light in the Attic was funny. It was funny because of the words and actions, and I really liked that some poems rhymed a little. The poem Something Missing is about a boy that thinks he is ready but forgets his pants at home. I learned to never forget anything at home and to always double check everything. For sure I will never forget my pants at home.
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Posted June 1, 2011
I love this book and I enjoyed reading it. My favorite poem was Spelling Bee. I think it is funny. I liked the drawings, specially the Spelling Bee one. The book was great and funny. There were all kinds of poems in the book. Another poem that I really liked was Stop Thief because it said someone stole his knees which is impossible. I do recommend that you buy this book and keep it safe, so you can read it whenever you want.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Kassy02
Posted May 30, 2011
I read A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein. I am 8 years old and I liked the book a lot. It was funny and very interesting. The poems were short and with lots of illustrations. All the poems were very good. There were some that I did not understand at the beginning but then I was able to understand them. I enjoyed this book and I thank my teacher for asking us to read poetry.
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Posted May 29, 2011
A light in the Attic takes children to an adventurous new world. It helps kids to understand the meaning of the word Poem. It also helps children to learn how to rhyme word by word. Every poem has a different kind of theme for kids. My favorite part of the book is learning new words. When a new word came to my mind from the book, I was so intrigued to find out what the meaning was so I can understand the poem.
I love the book and I hope others that read it likes it too.
This has always been one of my favorite "children's" books. I really don't think that it's just for kids. Grown-ups can enjoy it too. Personally, highly recommended more than the other two in the series.
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Posted January 31, 2010
I actually bought this book for my fiance. He had mentioned liking it as a child and it was a pleasant surprise for him on Christmas. It's a classic and a book we'll save to give to our kids one day.
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Posted January 30, 2010
I Also Recommend:
My pre-teen daughter loved Silversteins' A Light In The Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends and now my grandson is enjoying these same books. Each child through adult cherishes these books and should have their own copy. When read to or when reading, you can see a pause in the countenance of the reader and you can see the mental wheels spinning. This book is entertaing and it is a growth book to treasure.
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Posted January 23, 2010
I first gave this book as a gift to youngsters 30+ years ago when my nieces were in the lower school grades. It is a great book for youngsters, and very entertaining to them. A lot of the appeal is that the poems and illustrations are sometimes a tad seditious, dealing with mild no-no's, like putting your finger up your nose. Or about silly mistakes. Or illogical activities. Or improbable events. Etc., etc. All in all, a joyful hoot of a book.
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Posted October 30, 2009
Shel Silverstein's books relate to "being a kid". For many, his works touch memories, as well as allowing a child to realize that it's ok to "think outside the box". I often use his books when teaching Child Development classes and my students love his stories. It allows a "grown-up" to have fun as well as a child! I am definitely making this "special edition" a part of my library!
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Posted August 16, 2009
I grew up with these poems so I decided to buy a copy for my niece and she LOVED it!!!
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Overview
Here in the attic of ...