Shel Silverstein: a new collection, 12 years after his death
Years after he made the imaginary ailments of little Peggy Ann McKay famous (鈥淚 have the measles and the mumps/ A gash, a rash and purple bumps鈥�), another collection of Shel Silverstein鈥檚 kid-friendly poems has appeared on the market, 12 years after his death.
The newest book, 鈥淓very Thing On It,鈥� has the same familiar black-and-white illustrations and wacky rhymes that for decades now have been winning over even the most poetry-averse of kid readers. This book is the first compilation of children's poetry by Silverstein published since his book 鈥淔alling Up鈥� appeared in 1996.
鈥淔alling Up鈥� was preceded by 鈥�Where the Sidewalk Ends鈥� in 1974 and 鈥�A Light in the Attic鈥� in 1981.
Silverstein's career was broad and varied. Before he became known for his poetry, he got both kids and parents a little teary with his children鈥檚 book 鈥淭he Giving Tree,鈥� published in 1964, which told the bittersweet story of a tree willing to give everything it could for the little boy who loved it.
鈥淗appy endings, magic solutions in children's books create an alienation in the child who reads them,鈥� Silverstein once told the New York Times. 鈥淭he child asks why don't I have this happiness thing you're telling me about, and comes to think when his joy stops that he has failed, that it won't come back.鈥�
Besides his famous occupation as a children鈥檚 author, Silverstein worked as a playwright and a performer as well as a cartoonist for Playboy. He also won a Grammy award for his songwriting work on 鈥淎 Boy Named Sue,鈥� which was recorded by country superstar Johnny Cash. He later received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations in the Best Music, Original Song category for the film 鈥淧ostcards from the Edge,鈥� and the album of 鈥淎 Light in the Attic鈥� was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Recordings for Children category.
Silverstein鈥檚 book 鈥淓very Thing On It鈥� has familiar themes and goofy endings, including the poem 鈥淪chool鈥� 鈥� consisting only of, 鈥淩ain and hail/ Cold and snow/ Are good excuses not to go鈥� 鈥� and 鈥淭he Genie in the Flask,鈥� in which genie legends get turned on their head. 鈥淚 opened up that magic flask/ And zoof, up popped a genie鈥� He says that I must be his slave/ And oh, he isn鈥檛 kidding,鈥� Silverstein writes. Others contain Silverstein鈥檚 trademark dark humor, as in "Mustache Mo," whose titular character meets a bad end. 鈥淢ustache Mo of the B. & O./ His mustache grows ten feet or so,鈥� writes Silverstein. 鈥淚t got caught in the wheels below./ Now there鈥檚 no mustache/ And no mo鈥� Mo.鈥�
Some readers, when perusing a book published after the author鈥檚 death, may look for a valedictory inclusion. The last poem of 鈥淓very Thing On It鈥� seems to sound that note. 鈥淲hen I am gone what will you do?鈥� begins the poem titled, 鈥淲hen I Am Gone.鈥� 鈥淲ho will write and draw for you?鈥�
But the ending offers the same message of encouragement to kids that is one of the main reasons that Silverstein鈥檚 poems are still so popular in classrooms. 鈥淪omeone smarter 鈥� someone new?鈥� Silverstein鈥檚 poem continues. 鈥淪omeone better 鈥� maybe YOU!鈥�
Molly Driscoll is a Monitor correspondent.
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