The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
Author: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copyright: 1981
Pages: 96
Reading Level: 1
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: *****

Summary:
There is a missing piece, and it is looking for its thing to complete. It sat and waited for someone to come along. Some came along and fit, but they could not roll. Others didn’t know anything, or had too many pieces, one too many pieces missing, some were to delicate, and others put it on a pedestal and left it. It learned to avoid the hungry ones, and others came. But some looked too closely and others didn’t notice. It tried to make itself flashy or more attractive but that didn’t work either. Finally one came along that fit just right. And things were good but suddenly the missing piece began to grow, and grow, and it didn’t fit. That someone left saying that it wanted someone that wouldn’t increase, and the missing piece was alone again. Until, the Big O came along. The missing piece wanted to be a part of the Big O, but the Big O was already complete, but it told the missing piece that though it couldn’t roll with it, but it could roll on its own. Now that missing piece was a triangle and triangles don’t roll because they have corners. The Big O asked if the missing piece had ever tried, it said no. The Big O told the missing piece that corners wear off. So the missing piece sat there alone for a long time and finally one day it pulled itself up on one edge, and flopped down on the other side. “Then lift…pull…flop” it moved forward. As time went on the corners began to wear down, “lift, pull, flop” and its shape began to change. Then it stopped flopping and began bumping, and then bouncing and then rolling! And it didn’t care where it was going and it didn’t care where because it was rolling…and then you see that missing piece meet up with that Big O and they roll off together.

Who would benefit from reading this?
EVERYONE! This book doesn’t have very many changes, and each page only has a few words, but the significance behind it is amazing. Everyone can relate to being that missing piece, whether they are young or old or in-between. Everyone knows what it is like to have others come along. This book is one that everyone should read, not only to their kids, but they should read for themselves. At one point you have been, or still are the missing piece, waiting for your Big O.

Potential problems/conflicts:
As a kids book, this book might be boring. You have to dig deeper and relate the book to life, because that is what it is about, so if you can’t do that, this book may not be one you would want to read.

My reaction:
This book was exactly what I needed! Being in college, I am very much the missing piece. And I have met lots of other people, and like the missing piece, some didn’t fit, or they had too many missing pieces themselves and so on. This booked surprisingly helped me to put some things in my life into perspective, and helped me to start my “lift, pull, flop” forward. I may not be rolling yet, but I am somewhere in-between bouncing and bumping along. An amazing book!