Shel Silverstein was a gifted American author, poet, illustrator and songwriter. Although he did not set out to be a children’s author, Shel may be best loved for his children’s books and poems, a collection that includes The Giving Tree and Where the Sidewalk Ends. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages and read by more than 14 million people around the world.
Born Sheldon Allan Silverstein in Chicago on September 25, 1930, Shel began writing stories and creating cartoons as a child. After finishing high school, Shel went on to attend college at nearby Roosevelt University, where he took English and art classes and began studying music. He once said that he would have rather been a good baseball player or dancer, but he turned to his imagination as a child because he was not a good athlete. Shel also said he was lucky to have nobody to copy, and so instead was able to develop his own unique style.
In 1953, Shel was drafted to serve in the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Japan and Korea, where he drew cartoons for the Pacific military newspaper, Stars and Stripes. He also learned how to play guitar and wrote songs. After returning home in 1955, Shel started selling his cartoons to several magazines and also wrote several books, calling himself “Uncle Shelby.” In 1963, Shel published his first children’s book, Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back. The book was a huge hit and was soon followed by The Giving Tree in 1964 and several others, including Where the Sidewalk Ends, which was published in 1974. He also recorded more than a dozen albums and wrote several award-winning songs, many of which were performed by famous artists like Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris. And, he wrote several well-received plays and at least one screenplay for a movie.
Shel died on May 10, 1999, at his home in Key West, Florida. He enjoyed a long, successful career and continued writing, drawing and making music up until his death.
Written by Tamar Burris, a former elementary school teacher who now works as a freelance writer and curriculum developer for PBS, the Discovery Channel and other education-related companies. Sources: Shel Silverstein Biography on Famous Poets and Poems, famouspoetsandpoems.com; Shel Silverstein on Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org; Shel Silverstein: The Official Site for Kids, www.shelsilverstein.com.
