This Fiction Friday is a stray from the normal review of YA and Adult fiction. Primarily because I didn’t have a lot of books in my store that didn’t involve making the reader cry. This is good stuff week after all. I decided to go with one of my favorite children’s author Shel Silverstein and a little known book of his called Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book.
While Silverstein is a children’s author this is not a children’s book. Instead I am pretty sure this book is best read by parents of children as a bit of comic relief from the hell they bring. Shel does bring the comic relief with moments like E being both for eggs and for Ernie (the creature who lives in the ceiling and likes to catch eggs). I can’t really say all the bits I love in this book or you won’t have reason to give it a read. I will say though that ABZ’s is filled with classic Silverstein art that you probably love from his poetry anthologies and other children’s books. So if you love Silverstein, have children of your own, or just enjoy sardonic humor this book may be for you. Or if you want to be the uncle/aunt every parent hates buy if for your older nephew to read to your preschool niece. Just make sure they don’t tell the parent’s about it.
