"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT—NOTHING RHYMES WITH MERCIER": FIRST EDITION OF WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS, WARMLY INSCRIBED WITH ELEVEN LINES OF HUMOROUS VERSE BY SHEL SILVERSTEIN

SILVERSTEIN, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends: The Poems & Drawings of Shel Silverstein. New York: Harper and Row, (1974). Small quarto, original brown cloth, original dust jacket. $16,500.

Rare first edition, presentation copy, of Silverstein’s first collection of witty and whimsical poetry, warmly inscribed by him on the front free endpapers with eleven lines of humorous verse "Nothing Rhymes," signed by him with, with a drawing of a hand holding a pen finishing the signature.

"The poems, ranging from serious to silly, from philosophical to ridiculous, allow the reader or listener—the rhyme and rhythm… make them perfect for reading aloud—to discover Silverstein's greatest gift: his ability to understand the fears and wishes and silliness of children" (Silvey, 602). This collection's colorful cast of characters includes, among others, Dirty Dan, "the dirtiest man in the world"; Jimmy Jet and his TV set—"He watched till his eyes were frozen wide, and his bottom grew into his chair…"; and "The Glurpy Slurpy Skakagrall—who's standing right behind you."

The lengthy, warm inscription reads (in Silverstein's characteristic all-caps lettering): "Nothing Rhymes. Nothing rhymes with Mercier / If you pronounce it Frenchly / If you'd pronounce it 'Merican / You'd help me most immensely / 'Cause then I'd write some versier / That would be terse or tersier / Cursory or cursier / Or maybe worse or worsier / So 'Fol-de-rool, Fol-de-ray.' / What the hell do you expect— / Nothing rhymes with Mercier / Love, Shel." Book first edition, with "First edition" stated and nine-digit SBNs on copyright page (vs ten digit ISBNs). Dust jacket first issue, with price of $7.95 (rather than $8.95) and no mention of The Missing Piece on rear flap. Cotsen 10243. The "Mercier" of the inscription perhaps refers to Jean Mercier, the children's book editor of Publisher's Weekly, which printed Mercier's interview with Silverstein in 1975, shortly after this book's publication.

Mild toning to cloth edges; dust jacket crisp but toned with a bit of soiling to rear panel. Rare and desirable with an original autograph poem signed by Silverstein.