Items13The creator’s order
  1. 1Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974)Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974) 8.2/10 on Open LibraryPublished Jan 1, 1974Start here if you want to open to almost any page and find something you can read out loud. There’s a boy who turns into a television, a girl who eats a whale, and a pile of garbage that keeps getting bigger. The poems give you room to change pace between a quick joke and a quieter thought.0
  2. 2Uncle Shelby's A giraffe and a half (1964)Uncle Shelby's A giraffe and a half (1964) 8.0/10 on Open LibraryPublished Jan 1, 1964Read it to a child who likes to get ahead of the grown-up reading. A boy adds one absurd thing after another to his giraffe, and the verse keeps the growing inventory in play. Once your listener catches the rhythm, leave a little room for them to supply the next rhyme.0
  3. 3The Giving Tree (1963)The Giving Tree (1963) 8.4/10 on Open LibraryPublished Jan 1, 1963A boy comes to a tree for apples and a place to play. As he gets older, what he asks of it changes. The simple pictures make it easy to follow, and the sadness can take you by surprise. If you’re reading it together, ask what each one gives the other and let your listener decide how that feels.0
  4. 4Runny Babbit (2005)Runny Babbit (2005) 7.0/10 on Open LibraryPublished Jan 1, 2005The bunny rabbit becomes Runny Babbit when the sounds at the beginnings of words trade places. Once your listener figures out how the same trick gives his friends their names, you can take turns reading the silly version and saying what it means. Pick this for a child who likes hearing how words…0
  5. 5Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? (1964)Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? (1964)Published Jan 1, 1964A boy makes the case for the rhinoceros as a household pet, down to what it could do with your bad report card. The black-and-white drawings leave the animal’s size to carry half the joke. Give this to a child who loves drawing up rules for imaginary pets.0
  6. 6Don't bump the glump! (1992)Don't bump the glump! (1992) 4.0/10 on Open LibraryPublished Jan 1, 1992This collection gives each improbable creature its own poem and picture. Silverstein’s ink and watercolor drawings make the monsters bright enough to invite a closer look. Try reading a few aloud and letting your listener invent what the next creature might look like.0
  7. 7Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back (1963)Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back (1963)Published Jan 1, 1963Silverstein’s first children’s book gives you a lion who can do things people admire and still can’t decide what sort of creature he is. If your listener likes a longer story with a serious question tucked under the jokes, this one has both. The lion’s fondness for marshmallows keeps the fable from…0
  8. 8The Missing Piece (1976)The Missing Piece (1976)Published Jan 1, 1976A round creature missing a wedge rolls off to look for it. The sparse drawings let you follow the search through little changes in motion and shape. It’s a good read when a child wants room to wonder why getting exactly what you asked for can change the parts of life you liked.0
  9. 9The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (1981)The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (1981) 10.0/10 on Open LibraryPublished Jan 1, 1981The little piece sits and waits for somebody who can take it along. The Big O gives it a different idea about getting around. Start here if your listener is figuring out how to try something alone, or read it after The Missing Piece to see how the same shapes can pose another question.0
  10. 10A Light in the Attic (1981)A Light in the Attic (1981)Published Jan 1, 1981Go here when you want a poem that sounds especially good in an exaggerated voice. Try Backward Bill or the polar bear who takes up residence in a refrigerator. The attic can feel a little stranger than the sidewalk outside, with jokes that ask you to picture a whole world running the wrong way.0