Shel Silverstein

Sheldon Allan, or "Shel" Silverstein (Chicago, 1930-Key West, 1999), was a poet, singer, songwriter, composer, playwright, screenwriter, author, and illustrator of children's books. As a musician, he recorded 17 LP albums and was awarded the Grammy twice (for the albums "Boy Named Sue and Other Country Songs," 1970, and "Where The Sidewalk Ends," 1984), and was also an Oscar nominee. Together with David Mamet, he co-wrote the screenplay for Mamet's film "Things Change" (1988). As an author and illustrator of children's books, often under the pseudonym "Uncle Shelby," he published more than twenty books, with the most notable being: "Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book" (1960), "Uncle Shelby's Story of Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back" (1963), "A Giraffe and a Half" (1964), "The Giving Tree" (1964), "Uncle Shelby's Zoo: Don't Bump the Glump! and Other Fantasies" (1964), "The Missing Piece" (1976), "The Missing Piece Meets the Big O" (1981), "Runny Babbit" (2005), among others. His books have been translated into many languages and are considered classics, having sold over 20 million copies. He passed away from a heart attack in Key West, Florida, on May 10, 1999, at the age of 68.