Shel Silverstein has never been known for being normal. When you pick up a collection of poetry or one of his many books, go into the experience with an open mind. Silverstein was a unique writer who possessed a sense of humor straight forward enough for children but subversive enough for adults. Everybody who reads one of his poems or stories will be rewarded differently.
Consider me a lifetime fan of Silverstein. As a child, his poems appealed to me. Short and sweet and highlighted with his pencil drawings they never failed to make me smile. As an adult those same verses still excite me. Strangely enough, I never really was exposed to Silverstein’s books as a young reader. In recent years I’ve found new joy within their stark, irreverent pages. Most likely you’ve read the classic (and genius) 1964 story The Giving Tree. However have you stumbled upon joyful works like A Giraffe and a Half, Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros, Lafcadio (The Lion Who Shot Back), or The Missing Piece (and for that matter sequel The Missing Piece Meets the Big O)?
Unless you are more than a casual fan of Silverstein then the answer to one or all of those books would probably be no. If that is the case, you’re missing out on so much from the unconventional literary talent. Outside of the poetry collected in Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, and A Light in the Attic and the heart-warming story of The Giving Tree my suggestion for a starting point could be any of the titles I mentioned above. I can’t ever make up my mind which I like best—for today I’ll go with Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros.
Originally published in 1964, Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros is a simple yet exceedingly creative story. The premise is that a youngster brings a rhinoceros home and in a bid to keep it tries to explain its usefulness and in the process comes to the conclusion that the large animal is both helpful and troublesome. Hence the fact it is on sale—cheap!
Silverstein as always exhibits a free, childlike sense of creativity. It is this characteristic that makes his books so very special. They so often read like fables—Silverstein was a modern Aesop in many ways and as an added bonus his stories are truly delightful. Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros is no exception to that rule. Silverstein’s illustrations are perfectly suited to his story. They are as always simple pencil drawings—the pictures speak and tell as much about the story as the actual words. It is the book as a whole that is so special.
The scenes that unfold as the book progresses are hilarious. Our young protagonist admits his large friend is difficult to build a house for, that he doesn’t like to be dressed as a girl, doesn’t look where he walks, and isn’t very good at opening doors. However the pros do indeed seem to outweigh the cons in this touching story of unconditional love. The rhinoceros can help out with playing records when you don’t have a record player, is good at collecting allowance from your father, can help grandma make doughnuts, and is great at helping plow the field.
There is one page in the book that really gets to me. Toward the end, our young friend says that the rhinoceros is good for yelling at. Silverstein’s picture says it all—the rhino is crying. He too has feelings. Without the simple and emotional illustration the story would not be complete. In the end, we learn that the rhino is also easy to love despite his many flaws and rather inconvenient size. This is ultimately the message that readers (and possibly even children) will take away from the book. It really doesn’t matter what size somebody is, what their skills are, or what they are or are not good at—everybody can be loved and deserves respect.
Silverstein as always hits the nail on the proverbial head in his story. Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros isn’t one of his most recognized titles but it comes packed with the expected balance of wit and wisdom from this multi-talented artist (author, playwright, songwriter, journalist). If you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary to read please do consider this book and for that matter the rest of the Shel Silverstein bibliography. Whether or not it is appropriate or entertaining for kids is all a matter of opinion. I cannot comment specifically on anything outside of my own experience, but do suspect that had somebody handed me Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros at age six I would have thought it was hilarious.
In the end, there are very few things in this world that make me happier.
Related Review:
Falling Up
http://www.epinions.com/content_98998587012 
France
Germany
United Kingdom
Australia
USA
