Silverstein, Shel. 1981. A light in the attic. Illustrated by Shel Silverstein. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 0-06-025673-7.
A Light In The Attic is a delightful poetry collection by Shel Silverstein. Silverstein�s work is a humorous treat to readers of all ages. There are many wonderful poems included in this volume. (Silverstein�s other works include Where The Sidewalk Ends and Falling Up. He is also the author of other books such as The Giving Tree, Lafcadio, The Missing Piece, The Missing Piece Meets The Big O, Who Wants A Cheap Rhinoceros and A Giraffe and A Half. Not all of his work is humorous. Some of his other books are more philosophical than humorous. But all of his work is excellent!)
It is hard to know exactly where to begin reviewing such an excellent collection. Many of the poems have been my favorites for years. There are many different types of poems in A Light in the Attic. There are poems that are nonsensical. There are poems about everyday childhood experiences. There are poems that are narrative. There are poems that are philosophical. But above all there are poems that capture life and all of its varying experiences.
Nonsense poems definitely play an important role in A Light In The Attic. For example, They�ve Put A Brassiere On The Camel is a wonderfully funny poem. Accompanying the poem, is a camel looking dazed and confused and wearing a brassiere. (The picture is quite memorable.) They�ve put a brassiere on the camel, They claim she�s more decent this way. They�ve put a brassiere on the camel, The camel had nothing to say. They squeezed her into it, I�ll never know how, They say she looks more respectable now. Lord knows what they�ve got in mind for the cow, Since they�ve put a brassiere on the camel (166). Another all-time favorite of mine is Crowded Tub. There�s too many kids in this tub. There�s too many elbows to scrub. I just washed a behind that I�m sure wasn�t mine, There�s too many kids in this tub (86).
Silverstein definitely captures what it means to be a child. My favorite illustration of this is his poem Union for Children�s Rights. This is technically just a drawing of kids on strike. Each child is holding a sign. It reads something like this, UCR/ Strike! Strike! For Children�s Rights/ Longer Weekends/ Shorter School Hours/ Higher Allowances/ Less Baths and Showers/ No Brussel Sprouts/ More Root Beer/ And Seventeen Summer Vacations A Year!/ If You�re Ready To Strike�Line Up Right Here!. Little Abigail and The Beautiful Pony is another poem that sums up what it means to be a kid. In this melodramatic poem, Abigail dies of a broken heart because her parents refuse to buy her a pony. The drawing shows her parents with cartoon captions that read: Oh�.what fools we were and Oh, if only she were alive I would buy her a hundred ponies (121). The last stanza of the poem says (This is a good story to read to your folks when they won�t buy you something you want) (121). Homework Machine is yet another poem that speaks to children. Of course, this child�s dream of never having to do his own homework again�doesn�t quite come true! Kidnapped is a little girl�s excuse for why she was late to school. Another Messy Room shows how messy children (and all of us) can be! Silverstein�s poetry is great for capturing each and every experience of being a child.
There are many poems that I would classify as more philosophical that is they are about more than getting a laugh out of the reader. For example, Whatif is a poem that deals with worries. Last night, while I lay thinking here, Some whatifs crawled inside my ear And pranced and partied all night long And sang there same old Whatif song (90). The poem goes on to name some of the whatifs. While a person�s what-ifs might change or differ according to age�I think the poem captures a very real part of the human experience. Another serious poem is The Little Boy and The Old Man. Said the little boy, Sometimes I drop my spoon. Said the little old man, I do that too. The little boy whispered, I wet my pants. I do that too, laughed the little old man. Said the little boy, I often cry. The old man nodded, So do I. But worst of all, said the boy, it seems grown-ups don�t pay attention to me. And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand. I know what you mean, said the little old man (95). That poem is very powerful. It�s hard to imagine something that powerful as being from the same collection that brings you poems like Crowded Tub. Another poem (but not as equally powerful) is Zebra Question. In the poem a little boy asks the zebra about its stripes. The zebra then proceeds to bombard him with questions like: Are you good with bad habits? Or are you bad with good habits? Are you noisy with quiet times? Or are you quiet with noisy times? Are you happy with some sad days? Or are you sad with some happy days? Are you neat with some sloppy ways? Or are you sloppy with some neat ways? (125). I thought this poem was very clever in dealing with the whole zebra stripe question (white on black or black on white) while at the same time asking some very thought-provoking questions.
Another favorite poem of mine is Overdues. It is a humorous poem about life. What do I do? What do I do? This library book is 42 years overdue. I admit that it�s mine But I can�t pay the fine�Should I turn it in Or hide it again? What do I do? What do I do? (65). The poem is accompanied by a simply hilarious picture of a worried man with frazzled hair
There are many poems where the poem simply would be meaningless without the illustration. One of which, of course, was Union for Children�s Rights. But there are many others as well. Something Missing is a good example of the importance of Silverstein�s drawings. I remember I put on my socks, I remember I put on my shoes. I remember I put on my tie that was painted In beautiful purples and blues. I remember I put on my coat, To look perfectly grand at the dance, Yet I feel there is something I may have forgot�What is it? What is it? � (26). Of course, what he�s forgotten is his pants! The illustration is key to the poem. Have Fun is another poem that relies on the drawing for its full meaning. It�s safe to swim In Pemrose Park. I guarantee There are no sharks (145). There may not be sharks, but the drawing clearly shows the reader that there is another creature lurking there! Another example is Deaf Donald. Donald and Sue like each other, but because she doesn�t know sign language . . . she doesn�t understand that throughout the poem he�s been signing I Love You. But thanks to the drawing�.the readers do.
A Light In the Attic is simply a wonderful collection of poetry. It has something to offer the reader regardless of age. It is a great example of how gifted Shel Silverstein was.