Where the Sidewalk Ends by Silverstein, Shel - 1974

New York: Harper and Row, 1974. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good +/good +. Silverstein, Shel. First printing, octavo size, 176 pp., in a first issue dust jacket with $7.95 price. Sheldon Allan Silverstein (1930-1999), a hugely talented author and illustrator, gave to the world the perennial children's favourites "The Giving Tree", "A Light in the Attic" and this title; all of his books remain sought after today and have been reprinted countless times, into many different languages.

Not everyone realises that Silverstein was also a gifted cartoonist, songwriter, and singer; as the book editor Otto Penzler wrote, "The phrase 'Renaissance man' tends to get overused these days, but apply it to Shel Silverstein and it practically begins to seem inadequate. Not only has he produced with seeming ease country music hits and popular songs, but he's been equally successful at turning his hand to poetry, short stories, plays, and children's books."

"Where the Sidewalk Ends" was named a "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" in an online poll by the National Education Association in 2007. "Come in...for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist" (n.b., quote from the web site of Shel Silverstein).

This the first edition/first printing, with "First Edition" stated on the copyright page, and is in a first issue dust jacket with the original price of $7.95 on the front flap.

___DESCRIPTION: Full brown cloth, facsimile of Shel Silverstein's signature in brown on the front board, black lettering on the spine, top edge speckled light grey, title page with line drawing in black by Silverstein, copious line drawings in black by Silverstein throughout; octavo size (9" by 7"), pagination: [1-8] 9-166 [167-176], facsimile of Shel Silverstein's signature at the colophon. In a cream paper dust jacket with wraparound line drawing in black by Silverstein, black lettering on the front panel and spine, author bio and photo on the rear panel, a description of the book on the front flap, and a description of "The Giving Tree" on the rear flap; the dust jacket is unclipped with the original price of $7.95 on the front flap.

___CONDITION: Volume is very good plus, with clean boards, straight corners which are entirely unrubbed, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; faint scuffing to the cloth, tail of the spine gently bumped, book is very slightly cocked, light soil mark to the fore-edge of the text block, and one very short (less than 0.25") closed tear to the top margin of the leaf for pp. 125-126. The dust jacket is better than good, unclipped, some faint spots of soiling, overall toning, light overall edgewear, with a small (one-inch) closed tear to the bottom edge of the front panel; the bottom corner of the front flap is clipped, presumably by the publisher as the price remains at the top.

___POSTAGE:  International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.