Shel Silverstein was a poet, cartoonist, musician, songwriter and children's author. He never allowed his books to be printed in paperback, as he felt it diminished the quality of the book. He knowingly went against the grain of traditional poets and writers, writing in his own laid-back and conversational style, occasionally employing profanity and slang.

May 8, 2009, marked the 10th anniversary of Silverstein's death.Neatorama: The Many Sides of Shel Silverstein (May 17, 2009)

Silverstein began writing at the age of 12 when he found that he wasn't athletic, but could write. He joined the U.S. Army, writing for the Stars and Stripes newsletter. He was later urged by a family friend to write children's poetry and took up songwriting. He wrote "A Boy Named Sue" for Johnny Cash, "On Cover of the Rolling Stone" for Dr. Hook and "One's on the Way" for Loretta Lynn. Silverstein was featured on the Dr. Demento radio show.

• Grab Your Socks! (1956)
• Now Here's My Plan (1960)
• Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book (1961)
• A Playboy's Teevee Jeebies oh la la (1961)
• A Giraffe and a Half (1964)
• The Giving Tree (1964)
• Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? (1964)
• Uncle Shelby's Zoo (1964)
• More Playboy's Teevee Jeebies (1965)
• Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974)
• The Missing Piece (1976)
• Different Dances (1979)
• A Light in the Attic (1981)
• The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (1984)
• Falling Up (1996)
• Draw a Skinny Elephant (1998)
• Runny Babbit (2005) (published posthumously)

• Hairy Jazz (1959)
• Inside Folk Songs (1962)
• I'm So Good That I Don't Have To Brag (1965)
• Drain My Brain (1967)
• A Boy Named Sue And Other Country Songs (1969)
• Freakin' At The Freakers Ball (1972)
• Crouchin' On The Outside (1973)
• Songs & Stories (1978)
• The Great Conch Train Robbery (1980)
• Where the Sidewalk Ends (1984)
• A Light In The Attic (1985)
• Underwater Land (2002) (released posthumously)
• The Best of Shel Silverstein: His Words His Songs His Friends (2005) (released posthumously)

The actual date of his death is unknown. He was found May 10, 1999 by his housekeeper after suffering a lethal heart attack over the previous weekend.