Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Silverstein, Shel
9 Reviews
(3)
K-3
This follow-up to Silverstein's posthumously published Runny Babbit is very much a continuation of its predecessor. Spoonerisms (with the first letters or sounds of words swapped, as in "nuttered boodles") make each of the forty-four poems a puzzle for kids to untangle; the verses are accompanied by characteristically entertaining line drawings of Runny and his many friends. Pure fun.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
(4)
K-3
The poems in this companion volume (Where the Sidewalk Ends; A Light in the Attic) seem stale and the meter and phrasing awkward. The book resorts to bathroom humor, double negatives, and the word ain't, continuing Silverstein's tradition of irreverence; however, it lacks the creative sparkle and surprises that made the others so popular. This edition includes twelve new poems. Ind.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 1996
(2)
K-3
This posthumously published volume of 140-plus poems is every bit as good as Silverstein's earlier collections. The book is not just laugh-out-loud funny but demands to be read aloud. Drawings add immeasurably to the entertainment, often providing the punch line. With its share of the slightly creepy, the slightly naughty, and the slightly gross--and also some poignant pieces--the volume has depth and humor.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2011
(3)
K-3
This edition, with gold-colored jacket, includes twelve new poems from Silverstein's archive. Like much of his other work, comical black-and-white line drawings are integral to the whole, as necessary for readers' enjoyment as the writing. Silverstein's poems can be, by turns, laugh-out-loud funny, macabre, or heartwarming. With the way they trip off the tongue, they beg to be read aloud. Ind.
Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot
(3)
K-3
In this revised and expanded edition, Silverstein's economical black-line drawings illustrate the joys of owning a rhinoceros: "He will eat bad report cards before your parents see them." The deadpan text belies the goofiness of the pictures, with the rhinoceros jumping rope, playing pirates, and opening a soda can with his horn. This paper-over-board edition is notable for its bargain price.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(3)
K-3
Silverstein's first volume of poetry (the only one he illustrated in color) is characterized by the same absurd humor that defined his oeuvre. The nebulous monsters that accompany each poem are grotesque without being scary or horrifying. Some poems are a little clunky, but the zinger last lines in stronger works could force a smile on the most humorless of readers.
Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot
(2)
K-3
In this very "billy sook," the words throughout the poems swap first and occasionally second letters. Runny Babbit, the book's hero, and his friends (including Ploppy Sig and Rirty Dat) are drawn in Silverstein's signature style, both comical and endearing. In the end, despite the wearying strain of decoding the poems, readers will find Runny both lovable and memorable.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2005
(3)
K-3
This book about a boy and a generous tree, who gives him all she has, has long been cherished as a tale of unconditional, selfless love, and likewise condemned as a story of complete codependency. Its controversial themes now live on in a new format, with the same short text per page and evocative line drawings now made larger for easier sharing with a group.
Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam
(3)
K-3
In this revised and expanded edition, Silverstein's economical black line drawings illustrate the joys of owning a rhinoceros: "He is a terrific back scratcher. And he makes a very lovely lamp. He will eat bad report cards before your parents see them." The straightforward text belies the goofiness of the pictures, with the rhinoceros jumping rope, playing pirates, and opening a soda can with his horn.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
9 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.