A short life of the author
Shel Silverstein (1930–1999) was born Sheldon Allan Silverstein on 25 September 1930 in Chicago. He began his career as a cartoonist for Playboy magazine and was also a songwriter — he wrote “A Boy Named Sue” for Johnny Cash and “The Unicorn” for the Irish Rovers.
Life and Career
The Giving Tree (1964) — about a tree that gives everything it has to a boy — is one of the most widely read children’s books in America, and one of the most debated: interpretations range from a parable of unconditional love to a critique of selfishness and exploitation.
Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974) — a poetry collection featuring his own pen-and-ink illustrations — has sold over five million copies. The poems are funny, subversive, and rhythmically infectious. A Light in the Attic (1981) spent 182 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The Missing Piece (1976) and The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (1981) are minimalist picture books about contentment and self-sufficiency.
Major Works and Themes
Silverstein’s work for children is irreverent, anarchic, and funny. His poems celebrate the weird, the rebellious, and the nonconformist.
Key Works
- The Giving Tree (1964)
- Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974)
Collecting Silverstein
The Giving Tree first edition (Harper & Row, 1964) in fine condition with dust jacket brings $1,000–$3,000. Where the Sidewalk Ends (Harper & Row, 1974) first edition brings $200–$500. Silverstein died in 1999.