Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book: A Primer for Adults Only

by Shel Silverstein

Overview

The notorious Shel Silverstein classic you won’t want your children to read.

Dive into this a satirical, entertaining alphabet book for adults with quirky humor and Shel’s signature black-and-white art! No, this is not for your kids—this is just for you! 

“You will be chuckling over Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book.” —New York Times

“Delightful and…zany, Shel Silverstein is a gifted cartoonist.”  —Chicago Daily Tribune

“It’s very, very funny.” —Pittsburgh Post Gazette 

Generations have grown up with the works of Shel Silverstein, known not only as a poet and illustrator but also for his work as a cartoonist, playwright, performer, recording artist, and Grammy Award-winning songwriter. With the timeless magic of his work, Shel has encouraged all to dream and dare to imagine the impossible with his extraordinary poetry and unforgettable characters. With Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book, adult fans of Shel Silverstein have a book of their own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063139671
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/15/2022
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	104,627
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Shel Silverstein 's incomparable career as a bestselling children's book author and illustrator began with Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. He is also the creator of picture books including A Giraffe and a Half, Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?, The Missing Piece, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, and the perennial favorite The Giving Tree, as well as classic poetry collections such as Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Every Thing On It, Don't Bump the Glump!, and Runny Babbit.

Shel Silverstein 's incomparable career as a bestselling children's book author and illustrator began with Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. He is also the creator of picture books including A Giraffe and a Half, Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?, The Missing Piece, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, and the perennial favorite The Giving Tree, as well as classic poetry collections such as Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Every Thing On It, Don't Bump the Glump!, and Runny Babbit.

Date of Birth:

September 25, 1930

Date of Death:

May 10, 1999

Place of Birth:

Chicago, Illinois

Place of Death:

Key West, Florida

Education:

Chicago School of Fine Arts; University of Illinois (no degree)

Website:

http://www.shelsilverstein.com

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

A is for apple

See the nice green apple.

M-M-M-M-Good.

How many nice green apples can you eat?

Make a circle around the number of nice green little apples you ate today.

1 2 3 4 7 12 26 38 57 83 91 116

B is for baby

See the baby

The baby is fat

The baby is pink

The baby can cry

The baby can laugh

See the baby play

Play, baby, play.

Pretty, pretty, baby.

Mommy loves the baby more than she loves you.

Z is for zoo

Let's go to the zoo

See all the animals!

The animals are locked inside the cages.

Poor animals!

Who will let them out???

See the elephant in the zoo. Give the nice elephant some peanut shells with pepper inside. That will be a good joke on him. Ha. Ha. Ha Ha. The elephant is mad but don't worry — By tomorrow the elephant will have forgotten all about it.

Poor hippopotomus. The hippopotumos has a bone stuck in his throat and can't get it out. Poor hipopothomus the hipopottomos has no fingers like you do. Poor hipotopomus. Say, maybe he is not a real hiptopomos after all. Maybe he is really a royal prince that has been turned into a hipopotomos by a wicked witch and when some person takes the bone out of his throat the spell will be broken and he will turn back into a prince again and give whoever did it a million dollars in gold and a horse and a castle.

See the hippopotimus in the zoo

Whew!

Copyright © 1961 by Shel Silverstein

Editorial Reviews

Delightful and…zany, Shel Silverstein is a gifted cartoonist and an equally gifted writer.”  — Chicago Daily Tribune (October 8, 1961)

"The very funny 'Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book' takes sides with the children.”
— Philadelphia Daily News (January 17, 1985)

“One of the best antidotes we know to too many preschoolers in the family and a too-serious approach to child-rearing is Shel Silverstein’s Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book. It’s very, very funny.”  — Pittsburgh Post Gazette (August, 20 1962)

“You will be chuckling over Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book.” — New York Times (Sept 24, 1961)

From the Publisher

You will be chuckling over Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book.

New York Times (Sept 24

Delightful and…zany, Shel Silverstein is a gifted cartoonist and an equally gifted writer.” 

Chicago Daily Tribune (October 8

One of the best antidotes we know to too many preschoolers in the family and a too-serious approach to child-rearing is Shel Silverstein’s Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book. It’s very, very funny.” 

Pittsburgh Post Gazette (August

"The very funny 'Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book' takes sides with the children.”

Philadelphia Daily News (January 17