A Light in the Attic

A Light in the Attic is a collection of poems by Shel Silverstein. It was first published by HarperCollins in 1981. The poems for children are accompanied by illustrations also created by Shel Silverstein.

2004 reissue

album cover

List of poems

Title	Page #	Track #
Adventures Of A Frisbee	070	N/A
Almost Perfect	163	12
Always Sprinkle Pepper	082	N/A
Anchored	051	N/A
Anteater	061	28
Arrows	127	N/A
Ations	059	35
Backward Bill	040	31
Batty	139	N/A
Bear In There	047	02
Blinky Blum	180	N/A
Birthday	182	N/A
Blame	034	N/A
Books I Have Not Read	177	N/A
Bored	110	N/A
Buckin' Bronco	062	N/A
Captain Blackbeard Did What?	104	33
Catching	142	N/A
Channels	087	N/A
Clarence	154	21
The Climbers	092	N/A
Cloony The Clown	074	N/A
Collecting	183	N/A
Come Skating	071	N/A
Creative	174	N/A
Crowded Tub	086	11
Day After Halloween	037	N/A
Deaf Donald	143	N/A
Dinner Guest	161	N/A
Dog's Day	146	N/A
The Dragon Of Grindly Grun	033	16
Eight Balloons	058	04
Examination	132	14
Exercisin' Hen	181	N/A
Fancy Dive	030	29
Fear	136	N/A
The Fly Is In	100	N/A
Friendship	132	32
Frozen Dream	150	N/A
Garbage Soup Recipe	176	N/A
God's Wheel	152	25
Gooloo	114	N/A
Gumeye Ball	068	N/A
Hammock	010-11	N/A
Have Fun	145	N/A
Headache	115	N/A
Here Comes	032	N/A
Hiccup Cure	122	N/A
Hinges	135	N/A
Hippo's Hope	088-89	N/A
Hitting	142	36
Homework Machine	056	10
Hot Dog	069	N/A
How Many, How Much	008	N/A
How Not To Have To Dry The Dishes	012	07
How To Make A Swing With No Rope Or Board Or Nails	067	N/A
Hula Eel	109	22
Hungry TV Set	184	N/A
Hurk	150	N/A
If	158	N/A
Importnt?	054	N/A
In Search Of Cinderella	162	N/A
It's All The Same To The Clam	108	N/A
It's Hot!	084	N/A
Kidnapped!	159	15
Ladies First	148	17
A Light In The Attic	007	01
Little Abigail And The Beautiful Pony	120-121	09
The Little Boy And The Old Man	095	20
Longmobile	039	N/A
The Lost Cat	151	N/A
Magic Carpet	106	N/A
The Man In The Iron Pail Mask	113	N/A
The Meehoo With An Exactlywatt	072	N/A
Memorizin' Mo	027	N/A
Messy Room	035	N/A
Monsters I've Met	023	34
Moon-catchin' Net	009	N/A
Mr. Smeds And Mr. Spats	042	N/A
Musical Career	060	N/A
My Guitar	080	N/A
The Nailbiter	099	N/A
Never	036	N/A
Nobody	124	23
The Oak And The Rose	165	N/A
One Two	102	N/A
Outside Or Underneath?	107	39
Overdues	065	N/A
The Painter	123	N/A
Peckin'	083	24
Picture Puzzle Piece	021	18
Pie Problem	164	N/A
The Pirate	049	N/A
Play Ball	131	N/A
Poemsicle	133	N/A
Prayer Of The Selfish Child	015	N/A
Prehistoric	079	13
Presents, Presents, Presents	178	N/A
Push Button	158	N/A
Put Something In	022	N/A
Quick Trip	116-119	06
Reflection	029	N/A
Rhino Pen	156	N/A
Rhoda's Dress	173	N/A
Rockabye	094	N/A
Rock 'n' Roll Band	024-25	03
Senses	134	N/A
Shadow Race	153	N/A
Shaking	018-19	N/A
Shapes	077	N/A
Signals	020	19
The Sitter	014	05
Skin Stealer	147	N/A
The Snack (aka The Clam)	175	N/A
Snake Problem	044	N/A
Snap!	064	N/A
Somebody Has To	028	N/A
Something Missing	026	N/A
Sour Face Ann	091	N/A
Spelling Bee	081	N/A
Squishy Touch	053	08
Standing Is Stupid	111	N/A
Stop Thief!	013	N/A
Strange Wind	101	N/A
Superstitious	048	N/A
Surprise!	096	N/A
Suspense	160	N/A
The Sword-swallower	126	N/A
They've Put A Brassiere On The Camel	166-167	N/A
This Bridge	168-169	N/A
Thumb Face	055	N/A
Ticklish Tom	098	N/A
Tired	078	N/A
The Toad And The Kangaroo	128	37
Tryin' On Clothes	076	27
Turtle	085	N/A
Tusk, Tusk	103	N/A
Twistable, Turnable Man	138	38
Union For Children's Rights	140-141	N/A
Unscratchable Itch	052	N/A
Veggie Play	185	N/A
Wavy Hair	038	N/A
What Did?	016-17	N/A
Whatif	090	30
Who Ordered The Broiled Face?	112	N/A
Wild Strawberries	066	N/A
Zebra Question	125	26

Awards and nominations

• American: Best Graphic Illustrations
• Winner, 1984 William Allen White Children's Book Award (Kansas)
• Winner, 1983 Garden State Children's Book Award (New Jersey Library Association)
• 1987 Garden State Children's Book Award Center for Children's Books (Claremont, CA) "Recognition of Merit" Award
• ALA Notable Children’s Book
• School Library Journal Best dog
• Library of Congress Children’s Books
• Buckeye Shoestring Book Award (Illinois)

See also

Shel Silverstein poetry collections:

• Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974)
• A Light in the Attic (1981)
• Falling Up (1996)
• Every Thing On It (2011)