Shel Silverstein, Cartoonist, Author and Creator
By 1963, Shel crafted several more adult humour books and produced his first published children's book, Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. Several of his most popular kids' books sprang into publication in 1964 - A Giraffe and a Half, Who Wants a Cheap Elephant, and the enduring and heart-tugging The Giving Tree. (It took some effort to get The Giving Tree into print. Lots of editors loved it but thought it would not catch on. Humpf!)
Though with the hugely diverse body of admired work in his background, Shel became most popular for his children's verse and cartoons. Where the Sidewalk Ends burst into the hearts of children and parents in 1974 with Shel's special style of simplistic yet illuminating cartooning, and hilarious (and sometimes subversive from a parental view) poems. Similar in style to the "Sidewalk" book, A Light in the Attic was published in 1981, spending an amazing 182 weeks on the New York Times best seller list. Along with print, both books were made into recordings with Shel's exuberant voice bringing life to the verse with delight and gusto. Over 20 years later, the books continue to be best sellers. Falling Up, a third similar volume, was published in 1996. Most popular with readers, "The Giving Tree" will be published in a 40th Anniversary edition with a CD, available for Silverstein fans some time in 2004.
Sadly, Shel Silverstein died of a heart attack at home in Key West, Florida some time over the weekend of May 8th, 1999. His body was discovered in his bedroom by cleaning women. He was predeceased by his daughter Shonna, who died in 1982 of a brain aneurysm at the tender age of 11 and by his daughter's mother Susan, who died in 1975. He is survived by his son Matthew, born in 1984. Posthumously, Shel was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in November of this year.
I dearly admire the work of Shel Silverstein, his special skill with a pen that could create a shoe, a wheezing dragon and smirking kids, all from a few well-placed squiggles. I admire his ability to cultivate sparkling smiles, big wet tears and guffaws of laughter for such dissimilar audiences with enormous creativity and joy. His poems and cartoons of whimsy take me back to the uncomplicated times of childhood, where The Light in the Attic could make all the difference.
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