Common Sense Note
The story invites readers to pile on, the writing is light and freewheeling, and the artwork might topple off the page at any moment.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Peter Lewis
There is a brightness to Silverstein's humor that makes one glad to be alive. His craziness is often just this side of impossible; who knows, you may find yourself in one of his situations someday, if you are so lucky. Everyone has to laugh and dream, which is why Silverstein has sold a gazillion books--and bully for him.
Silverstein enjoys coming full circle in his stories, and the same holds true here. Up, up, up the tale climbs, threatening a drop into chaos with each new step, and then slowly readers exhale as, one by one, the elements surrender to whatever odd fate lies in wait for them.
The line drawings are operatic in their gestures, and give each character real distinction. Six-year-olds at a library reading pointed out who they would choose to be--"I'm the dragon!" more than one shouted, while one brave soul staked claim to the snake--thus entering right into the story.
Readers happy with this book ought to read Silverstein's The Missing Piece and The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, and another good cumulative and shedding story for younger readers is Maurice Sendak's One Was Johnny.
Plot Summary:
Take a giraffe, stretch it by another half, and add a rat in a hat and a rose on his nose and a whole lot more, and you have the makings of a madcap Shel Silverstein cumulative tale. The verse is sweetly upbeat, and the line drawings--as always with Silverstein--speak volumes more than their spare elegance would indicate.
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