Shel Silverstein, in full Sheldon Allan Silverstein, (born September 25, 1930, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. died May 10, 1999, Key West, Florida), American cartoonist, children’s author, poet, songwriter, and playwright best known for his light verse and quirky cartoons. In the 1950s Silverstein drew for the military magazine Stars and Stripes while serving in Japan and Korea, and he also contributed to Playboy. He created the adult book of drawings Now Here’s My Plan: A Book of Futilities (1960) before turning to works for children. His first efforts, written under the name Uncle Shelby, included Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book: A Primer for