Where the Sidewalk Ends

Although published in crisp black and white, former Playboy correspondent Silverstein’s classic collection of poems and drawings Where the Sidewalk Ends fairly explodes with colorful language of the kid-friendly sort. Taken by themselves, the poems range in length from a handful of lines up to three pages, and in breadth from a single amusing thought to a narrative arc or a song’s worth of lyrics. Common childhood themes of disobedience to parental and educational authority, trouble with siblings, chores and fanciful play are addressed in a characteristically irreverent manner, with frequent digressions into pure fantasy and fun. Never crossing over into the excessively precious or maudlin, Silverstein prefers to stick to a more self-conscious and unsentimental tone, gleefully exploring the macabre and outright disgusting topics frequented by children. On nearly every last opening, the text of the verses shares space with Silverstein’s expressive and loosely drawn illustrations. Poems sometimes reference the drawings, and the illustrations consistently support the text, either directly or by adding detail  and elaboration, often completing the effect of the poetry by showing what is not explicitly written. The use of negative space by the illustrator also contributes to the impact of certain pieces, as in “For Sale,” where the sister to be auctioned has a page to herself at the far end of the platform, but occupies only a small portion at the bottom of the otherwise blank expanse, or in “Love,” where the bearer of the “V” is quite lonely in a double-page spread intended for three more letters. With datable references few and far between (most notably in “Jimmy Jet and His TV Set” where the subject transforms into an old-fashioned analog television) this collection is accessible to youth of any era.

• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Sliverstein; illus. by the author 
• Intermediate 
• Harper & Row
• 166 pp. 
• Published 1974 
• ISBN 978-0060256678
• $19.99