Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein, The Gift of Imagination
"There is a place where the sidewalk ends", but in my opinion, this book is where it all begins. Shel Silverstein truly is an artist that is not only unique beyond any other children's book writer, but there is something about his writing that will truly make you come alive. Children sit all wide eyed and looking out in wonder when they hear the rhyming tales of Silverstein. It is a place you will never want to leave for fear you might never find that peppermint wind blowing again.
I can remember as a child, pulling myself up to the table, my chin barely reaching the cool edge of the wooden surface and grabbing my little fork and quoting the words of Hungry Mungry, one of the many masterpieces within the pages of this book. It was one of the many stories within that my mother read to me as a child. I think I would have rather eaten "all the grass in Africa and all the ice in Nome" than to have had to part with this book as a child.
There are many other poems, such as, Hug O' War, It's Dark in Here, LOVE, Invitation, and so many more that invite you into this world of imagination that Silverstein has unlocked. Once you allow him to take you beyond "Where The Sidewalk Ends", you will find yourself going back and visiting time and time again. You may even find yourself looking for A Light in the Attic or planting The Giving Tree, when it is all said and done. But don't let me spoil all your fun.