Where the Sidewalk Ends
Shel Silverstein
If the world was crazy, you know what I'd wear?
A chocolate suit and a tie of eclair,
Some marshmallow earmuffs, some licorice shoes,
And I'd read a paper of peppermint news.
Silverstein lets his imagination and creativity do the talking in Where the Sidewalk Ends . This collection of nonsense poems, which was first published in 1974, addresses childhood concerns and provides fanciful solutions to them. Read about the great voyage that 'Ickle Me, Pickle Me and Tickle Me' took. Hear the tale of Melinda Mae who ate a whale. Join an entrepreneurial young man who tried to sell his younger sister. It’s not all fun and games, though. One must never forget the awful fate that befell Sarah Cynthia, Sylvia Stout, or Jimmy Jett who would not stop watching his TV set; and the young man who was eaten by a Boa Constrictor. Don’t forget to read about the young boy who fought bandits, pirates, and cannibals. He was rescued by a water snake and married a mermaid. True story! With over 100 poems, Shel Silverstein has something for everybody.
The Story of the Four Children Who Went Round the World
Edward Lear
If you think about it, writing that doesn’t make sense doesn’t really qualify as literature. So, the paradoxical term “Literary Nonsense” seems like an oxymoron; where literature must always make sense, and nonsense is the exact opposite. Are you confused?
In order to comprehend nonsense verse, you must first clear your mind of logic and open up to any and all possibilities. In The Story of the Four Children Who Went Round the World , Edward Lear takes us along, as silent spectators, on a journey that could only happen in a dream, because that’s the only time we don’t seem to care about logic. Violet, Slingsby, Guy, and Lionel, set out to explore the world. They get a boat, and a take a cat along to steer it. There’s also the elder Quangle-Wangle who looks like the distant cousin of Groot (from Guardians of the Galaxy). There’s also a large kettle which they use to make tea, and cook their meals in. The kettle is in fact so huge that when the children aren’t using it to cook in, they get comfortable and snuggle to sleep in it. And this isn’t even the beginning of the adventures that lay ahead of them.
Through the Looking-Glass
Lewis Carroll
Exploring strange and bizarre worlds isn’t new to Alice. Having met the Mad Hatter, the Red and White Queen, the Cheshire cat, and other characters in Alice in Wonderland , Alice enters another world full of adventure. The story begins with Alice talking to her kitten, Kitty, and telling her about the other world inside a mirror where everything is backwards. While telling Kitty about this, Alice steps into the mirror and enters this world — The Looking-Glass House. Full of riddles and little curious things that disappear and reappear in front of Alice’s eyes, one is sure to follow Alice in a dream spiraling beyond one's imagination. Jabberwocky and Tweedledum and Tweedledee are two nonsensical poems, not meant to be understood but simply enjoyed. Does Alice dream everything again or did it all really happen this time?
