I got this hardcover from a Goodwill thrift shop. It contains lots of the author's whimsical - and sometimes terrifying - poetry, with his quirky drawings as illustrations. Some entries are groan-worthy puns or jokes, and some are unexpectedly thought-provoking. I loved the imagery in "Picture Puzzle Piece," which muses on the possibilities for a single stray piece: "It might be a shadowy trace/Of a tear that runs down an angel's face..."

There's wordplay:

"A genuine anteater,"
The pet man told my dad.
Turned out, it was an aunt eater,
And now my uncle's mad!

The most poignant poem here is "The Little Boy and The Old Man," contrasting a child's problems with those of the elderly.

[There's a TV Tropes page on Silverstein and his work, with some entertaining tidbits]

I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in MA here.]