Silverstein Bestiary Returns
By Sally Lodge, Children's Bookshelf -- Publishers Weekly, 2/21/2008
The Quick-Disguising Ginnit, the Long-Necked Preposterous and the Skinny Zippity are among the outlandish creatures gracing the pages of Shel Silverstein’s Don’t Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies. First published in 1964 as Uncle Shelby’s Zoo and long out of print, the book, which contains 45 poems, is the late author’s first poetry collection and the only children’s book he created in full color. HarperCollins will release the volume in March with a 400,000-copy initial print run.
This compendium first appeared during an especially creative period for Silverstein, who in the same year also published The Giving Tree, A Giraffe and a Half and Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? Asked about the decision to reissue Glump, Antonia Markiet, senior executive editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, says, “It has been three years since the publication of Shel’s Runny Babbit and, as most people had never had the opportunity to own a copy of Glump, Shel’s family and HarperCollins felt it was a perfect time to bring this book back into print.” The publisher opted to change the book’s title since Silverstein eventually dropped his former “Uncle Shelby” moniker and removed it from other titles.
Producing the new edition, Markiet says, entailed resetting the type, since the original linotype is no longer available; however, the publisher attempted to stay as close to the original typeface as possible. Markiet attributes Silverstein’s decision to render the art in color to his interest in watercolors at the time. The color in the new edition, she says, “remains true to the original. However, modern printing now allows a more precise process and more precise registration so that the color is very sharp and true.”
John Vitale, v-p and director of production for HarperCollins Children’s Books, explains that the art for the new edition was reproduced by scanning the book’s archival material and creating new digital files. “As with all of Shel’s work, the challenge is always to come as close as possible to the integrity of the original both in reproduction and design,” he says. “He was an artist who understood bookmaking and this book was very special to me, being the first time I’ve worked with his color. I am delighted with the result.”
HarperCollins’s national marketing campaign for Glump includes print and online advertising, sponsorship in five National Public Radio markets, a retail event kit and floor display and animated and downloadable content on Shelsilverstein.com. In addition, numerous libraries, including the New York Public Library and the Los Angeles Public Library, have scheduled “Shelebration” events. The Chicago Public Library will host a launch party on March 18, the book’s national laydown, and will be holding a total of 80 Shelebration programs throughout its branches.
Don’t Bump the Glump by Shel Silverstein. HarperCollins, $17.99, 978-0-06-149338-6
