''The Missing Piece'' is a children's
picture book
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...
by poet
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, poet, cartoonist, singer / songwriter, musician, and playwright. Born and raised in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended universit ...
.
Plot
The story centers on a circular shape-like creature that is missing a wedge-shaped piece of itself. It doesn't like this, and sets out to find its missing piece, singing:
It starts out on a grand adventure searching for the perfect piece to complete itself, while singing and enjoying the scenery. But after the circle finally finds the exact-sized wedge that fits it, it begins to realize that it can no longer do the things it used to enjoy doing, like singing or rolling slowly enough to enjoy the company of a worm or butterfly. It decides that it was happier when searching for the missing piece than actually having it. So it gently puts the piece down, and continues searching happily.
Popular culture
* The 1998 album ''Komadić koji nedostaje'' by the
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
band
Oružjem Protivu Otmičara
Oružjem Protivu Otmičara (Serbian Cyrillic: Оружјем Противу Отмичара, trans. ''With Weapons Against Kidnappers'') is a Serbian pop punk/power pop band from Zrenjanin.
History
1990s
The band was formed by two teenage fr ...
was named after the book. Silverstein's drawing which appeared on the cover of the book was used on the cover of the album.
* On the television show ''
Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'' (episode: "
Barely Legal"),
Glenn Quagmire gives
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a fictional character in the animated television series ''Family Guy''. Meg is the eldest child of Peter Griffin, Peter and Lois Griffin and older sister of Stewie Griffin, Stewie and Chris Griffin, Chris, but is also the family ...
the book to help her in her path through
adolescence
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the t ...
.
* In the popular
teen fiction
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...
book ''
An Abundance of Katherines
''An Abundance of Katherines'' is a young adult novel by John Green. Released in 2006, it was a finalist for the Michael L. Printz Award.
The novel includes an appendix by Daniel Biss, a close friend of Green, that explains some of the more c ...
'', this book is mentioned as a gift to child prodigy Colin Singleton from his father. When asked the question, "Do you sometimes feel like a circle with a missing piece?", Colin replies, "Daddy, I am not a circle, I am a boy."
* In the 2017 movie ''
The Upside
''The Upside'' is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Neil Burger, written by Jon Hartmere. It is a remake of the French 2011 film '' The Intouchables'', which was itself inspired by the lives of Abdel Sallou and Philippe Pozzo di Borg ...
'', the character Philip Lacasse's love interest Lily Foley refers to ''The Missing Piece'' to subtly convey to him that she is not interested in pursuing a relationship.
Sequel
A sequel was published in 1981 entitled ''The Missing Piece Meets the Big O'', which is told from a Missing Piece's point of view.
See also
*
References
1976 children's books
American picture books
Books by Shel Silverstein
Children's fiction books
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