Abstract
Shel Silverstein is an author, artist, playwright and a song writer who started writing children’s books in 1963. He was born in 1930, in Chicago, and in 1999, in key West, Florida from a heart attack. Silverstein has served as a soldier in the US Army, Korea, and Japan in the 1950s. After he left the army, he focused on writing children’s books, poems, songs, and even plays. Nonetheless, shel Silverstein is renowned for being the best writer for children’s books. An example of his books is A Giraffe and a Half which is an interesting children’s book. It is a story about a boy who owned a pet giraffe. The little boy played with the giraffe by adding useless items and a rhyming object on him on every page. Shel Silverstein is a humorous writer who has kept the young children laughing as they yearn more from his interesting books.
A Giraffe and a Half
Summary
A Giraffe and a Half is a kindergarten book written by Shel Silverstein. A Giraffe and a Half is a story about a boy and his pet giraffe. It is an unrealistic and humorous story about what the boy used to do with the giraffe. Silverstein writes how the little boy kept on making the giraffe do many things as well as adding things to him. The author takes us through the experiences of the giraffe and the little boy and what happens every time the boy adds something on the giraffe. The author uses vivid pictures and illustrations to make the story interesting. The giraffe is exposed in funny situations whereby the boy places funny things on the giraffe, for example, "a fancy suit, a rose on his nose, and glue on his shoe ". In addition, there are instances where the giraffe ends up "with a chair in his hair, a bee on his knee and a snake eating cake,” just to mention but a few (Silverstein, 2014). In the end, the giraffe was able to take away all the funny things the little boy added on him and gave it away, and the giraffe was normal again like all other giraffes. The boy had stretched the giraffe to half his size by adding objects on the giraffe, but after the objects were removed, the giraffe goes back to his original size.
Shel Silverstein
Basic Information
Shel Silverstein was born on 25th September 1930, in Chicago, and died on 10th may 1999, in key West, Florida from a heart attack (Silverstein, 2014). Silverstein studied at Roosevelt High School, went to the University of Illinois where he was expelled and later on joined Chicago Academy of fine Arts and Roosevelt University. He later on established himself as a composer and a musician and was drafted in the United States Army. He served as a soldier in the US Army, Korea, and Japan in the 1950s. In addition to serving in the army, Silverstein drew cartoons for the American military publication, Stars and Strips. In addition, he has written a number of songs with A Boy Named Sue becoming a hit for Johnny Cash in 1969, and Checkin’ Out being nominated for an Academy Award. Silverstein began his children’s books writing career in 1963 by writing a book, Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. After this book, he was able to write a number of books including poetry collections. The author recorded his last book Falling Up, in 1996, and later on died in 1999. Runny Babbit and Don't Bump the Glump and Other Fantasies were released after his death in order to continue Shel Silverstein’s legacy (Gold, 2009). Shel Silverstein was a soldier, an author/artist of several books of text and poetry. Furthermore, he was a poet, performer, playwright, recording artist, cartoonist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter. Nonetheless, he is renowned for his poetry books for children.
Interesting Facts
Shel Silverstein has an unrivaled career of writing children’s books that are infectiously funny. Silverstein writes books full of illustrations in order to keep the children glued on the books. For instance, in A giraffe and A Half, he writes, “If you had a giraffeand he stretched another halfyou would have a giraffe and a half” (Silverstein, 2014). Silverstein has written a number of children books that keep the children glued on the books until the end because they are attention-grabbing. Silverstein writes hilarious books that leaves the children yearning for more. Another interesting fact about Shel Silverstein is that, initially, he was serving as a soldier and it is funny that a soldier ends up writing interesting children’s. In addition, an interesting fact about Shel Silverstein is that, he is a playwright, a recording artist, a cartoonist, a Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter, and a poet which makes him incomparable (Rogak, 2007). Shel Silverstein is an incredibly gifted, creative, and a genius writer and artist. Another interesting fact about Shel Silverstein is that, he was once married, but he later divorced his wife Suzan who died in 1975. In addition, he only had one daughter who later on died at 11 years. Silverstein never allowed his books to be published in paperback.
Books
Apart from A Giraffe and a Half, Silverstein has written several books. Other books written by Shel Silverstein are The Giving Tree, Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back, Don't Bump the Glum, The Missing Piece Meets The Big O, Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros. In addition, he has written, Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, The Missing Piece, Runny Babbit, and Every Thing on It. Shel Silverstein is a great and renowned poetry and children’s book writer.
References
Silverstein, S. (2014). A Giraffe and a Half. New York: HarperCollins.
Silverstein, S. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved, Oct 29, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/shel-silverstein-9483912.
Rogak, L. (2007). A Boy Named Shel: The Life and Times of Shel Silverstein. New York: Thomas Dunne Books.
Gold, M. (2009). Silverstein & Me. Los Angeles: Red Hen Press.
