Biography of Shel Silverstein

Shel Siverstein was a renowned poet, playwright, illustrator, screenwriter, and songwritier, but he is most famous for popular children's books including The Giving Tree, Falling Up, and A Light in the Attic. Silverstein has become one of the most popular and best-loved children's authors of all time.

Shel Silverstein was born in Chicago on September 25, 1930. As a child, Silverstein spent much time drawing and writing, by which he developed the unique style depicted throughout his works. Initially, he had no plans on writing for children, but in the 1960's, Tom Ungerer introduced Silverstein to his editor, Harper Collins' Ursula Nordstrom, which resulted in the publication of the Giving Tree in 1964. Only selling marginal copies initially, decades after its initial publication, the book has sold more than five and a half million copies and holds a permanent stop atop lists of bestsellers (as well as one of my favorites.)

Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein's first collection of poems, was published in 1974 and was hailed as an instant classic. Two more collections followed: A Light in the Attic in 1981, and Falling Up in 1996. Both books dominated bestseller lists for months and as a result, his poetry books are widely used in schools as a child's first introduction to poetry.