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Shel Silverstein
By Lee Bennett Hopkins
This multi-talented children's (and adults'!) favorite remains in a class all his own
In a rare interview that appeared in Publishers Weekly in 1975, Shel Silverstein (1932-1999) stated that as a child growing up in Chicago, he "would've much rather have been a good baseball player…But I couldn't play ball…So I started to draw and write. I was lucky that I didn't have anyone to copy, be impressed by. I had developed my own style." Lucky for us, his "own style" led him to become a classic name in children's literature.
A household name
Prior to creating children's books, Shel Silverstein was a prominent cartoonist who worked in adult venues. In 1963, his first book for children, Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back (HarperCollins), was published. The Giving Tree (HarperColllins, 1964), his second book, has remained a best-seller over 40 years.
When his first book of verse for children, Where the Sidewalk Ends (Harper Collins, l974) appeared, Shel Silverstein immediately became a household name. Future titles, A Light in the Attic (HarperCollins, 1981) and Falling Up (HarperCollins, 1996) dominated best-seller lists for months. Shel Silverstein's combined work has sold over 20 million hardcover copies and been translated into over 20 languages.
This year, Runny Babbitt: A Billy Sook (HarperCollins), a book of letter-reversal wordplay, was posthumously released with an initial print run of 500,000 copies. The first printing sold out within months to become another number one best-seller.
In addition to children's books, Silverstein was also a noted composer, lyricist, folksinger and performer. Among his popular songs was "A Boy Named Sue," which was recorded by Johnny Cash.
A personal sense of discovery
Fans of all ages have come to love Shel Silverstein. He himself once stated, "I would hope that people, no matter what age, would find something to identify with in my books. Pick one up and experience a personal sense of discovery."
Lead your students to www.shelsilverstein.com – an incredible website where they can listen to the master reading from his books, download a classic Silverstein bookmark and more!
Lee Bennett Hopkins is a distinguished poet and anthologist. Recent collections include Halloween Howls: An I Can Read Book (HarperCollins, 2005).
August/September 2005, Vol.36, No.1
