"EVERY THING ON IT" by Shel Silverstein, HarperCollins, $19.99, 208 pages (ages 9-12)
Shel Silverstein’s name on the shelves again is a ghost from the past. Silverstein’s family and friends, along with partners at HarperCollins Publishing, have compiled 145 never-before-seen poems and drawings the artist completed before his death in 1999.
These poems make up the new book “Every Thing On It.” While this isn’t the first posthumous Silverstein publication, (“Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook” was published in 2005), it’s still been six years since we’ve seen any of the countless works by the poet/author/cartoonist/musician.
With poems such as “Garlic Breath” (p. 57) and “Looking for Santa,” (p. 156), the book will be sure to deliver the same giggles from kids as Silverstein’s previous works like “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and “Falling Up” have.
“There are kids underneath my bed,”
Cried little baby monster Fred.
Momma Monster smiled. “Oh Fred,
“There’s no such thing as kids,” she said. (“Frightened” p. 111)
However, as usual, Silverstein’s poems offer something adults can appreciate.
Silverstein was always a master of skilled simplicity. He strings just the right set of simple words together, producing a powerful music and rhythm when read aloud, along with double meanings and effective commentary.
Poems like “Growing Down” (p. 77) and “In Her…” (p. 104) examine everything from growing up to true love to politics. Poems like “Mask,” (p. 20) demonstrate a deep symbolism comparable to some of poetry’s greatest.
There’s the same visual entertainment aspect to the books, with pictures doing more than illustrating — they sometimes complete the visual-dependent poem.
This book can be a great teaching tool for children. Poems like “Rude Rudy Reece” (p. 148) and “The Lovetobutcants” (p. 42) teach lessons about courtesy, working and social interaction. Little riddles and simple poems throughout can help kids develop a taste for reading and poetry and perhaps help them learn how to write poems themselves.
The most touching aspect of this book is how often Silverstein addresses his reader on that very subject. The opening poem, “Years From Now,” and the end poem “When I am Gone” along with a few in between, forge a connection with the reader. The words urge readers to try writing themselves, suggesting they may succeed even more than Silverstein did. “When I am Gone” was a tear-jerker — a short, heartfelt thought that translates today as the beloved poet’s goodbye to his readers.
“Every Thing On It” is the kind of book for parents to pull out at their children’s bedtime. And it’s likely they’ll want to keep reading it themselves long after the kids are asleep.
Email: hbowler@desnews.com