EVERY THING ON IT by Shel Silverstein

Silverstein, Shel. 2011. EVERY THING ON IT. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061998164

Review

B

eloved author, Shel Silverstein left behind over 1,500 poems never published when he passed away in 1999.  According to NPR Books, members of his family met together to determine the best 145 to include in this new project.  The artwork is also Silverstein’s; a necessary part of keeping the work authentic to the author. 

The poetry in EVERY THING ON IT has an amusing and light-hearted mood and tone.  The poems are silly and perfect for readers of all ages. The tales are exaggerated and oftentimes funny.  For example, MER-MAID is about someone finding a mermaid who now lives in his/her sink.  GOING UP, GOING DOWN is about an alligator that eats everyone on the elevator. 

The vocabulary is for young readers but includes words that will be a stretch for beginning readers.  “Realize,” “leapt,” and “licorice” are a few examples of the more difficult words used throughout.  Rhyme is not in all poems but is exhibited in most.    Rhyme and assonance are often used together.  NEALS DEALS begins, “Neal’s deals, Neal’s deals/if you want a deal, come and see Neal/some of Neal’s deals are really steals/ and all of Neal’s deals are really unreal" and the poem continues as such.  Most of the poems are written altogether, with no white space between stanzas.  THE ROMANCE and THE CLOCKMAN are different, they are written in quatrains. 

All of the poems included can say they are written for sound.  The rhyme, rhythm, alliteration (found in RUDE RUDY REESE), and repetition (found in GROWING DOWN) make it difficult to not want to sing it or even dance and flail your arms!

Suggested use in dyslexic, remedial reading, or ESL classes:

Introducing the Poem:  Have a long, paper or cloth snake with the alphabet on the snake.  Have it hanging around the area where you will be reading.  Read the poem, OUCH! Discuss with students if they sometimes feel like they’ve been bit because reading can be so hard. 

Follow up Activity:  Read a couple of additional poems for fun, like maybe B.L…. WHAT? or FRIGHTENED.  Then, have students choose a poem from the book that they enjoy.  With materials like pipe cleaners, paper towel rolls, paper, boxes, cones, or whatever you have, have the students create something to represent their favorite poem – just like the snake does for OUCH!

OUCH!

If you’re learnin’ to read

But you haven’t learned yet,

And the B’s and the D’s

Are just givin’ you fits,

And you feel about twenty-six

Pains where you sit,

It’s that ol’ Letter Snake –

You’ve been alpha-bit.