Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Where the Sidewalk Ends is a book filled with fantasy inside through the use of poetry by Shel Silverstein, author and illustrator.

Poetry with a hint of fantasy

This classic poetry book addresses many common childhood concerns and is engaging for the audience to read.  Silverstein uses black and white cartoon type animations in his drawings and is famous for playing with the white space to make his pictures and words more alluring to readers.  I loved many of his poems when I was little because they were simple and fun to read.  I could relate to the author's message easily, which is why I think Silverstein's books are so popular.  This book could easily be introduced during poetry week in the class, and students would love it!

In the classroom...
1.  Have students re-write their least favorite poem in the book, with a picture explaining why.
2.  Put various poem titles in a hat and have children pick a title and play charades with the class.  This can be done in teams, but no words can be used.

This is one of my favorite poems in the book, and I love the details in the stack of pancakes.  I can just picture little Theresa smiling mischievously when she tries to pull her pancake from the middle!
Response questions...
1.  Why do you think Silverstein typically illustrates in black and white?
2.  How do the illustrations enhance or detract from the words in the poem?
About the author...
Shel Silverstein is famous for his work in children's literature, especially poetry, and loved to draw!  Check out these other books by Silverstein, The Giving Tree and A Light in the Attic.

References:
Silverstein, Shel.  (1974). Where the Sidewalk Ends.  New York:  Harper Collins Children's Books. 
www.shelsilverstein.com