Shel Silverstein was born and raised in Chicago in 1930, in the beginning of The Great Depression. His childhood wasn't like others his age. He began drawing and writing at a very young age. He began writing as an adult author but then was persuaded by a friend from Harper-Collins to begin writing Children's books. Harper-Collins also published his first children's books including, Uncle Shelby's story of Lafcadio and The Lion Who Shot Back. He wrote 3 children's books before he wrote his book of poetry, Where the Sidewalk Ends. He became interested in folk music in the 1960s. Silverstein composed A Boy Named Sue, made famous by Johnny Cash. He also wrote an album named Freakers at the Freakers Ball. His musical experience influenced the rhythm of his poetry. The Giving Tree made him famous with children and parents across the country. Where the Sidewalk Ends and Falling Up were his most famous books of poetry. It took him 10 years to write Where the Sidewalk Ends. Falling Up was the last book he published before his death. Silverstein was 68 when he died of heart attack in 1999 in his home in Key West, Florida. There was a new collection of his poetry Everything on It published in 2011, it includes 140 never-before-seen poems and drawings that he completed before his death. In his poetry he would eschew happy endings so children would not wonder why they weren't comparably happy. Shel Silverstein invited children to dream and dare to imagine the impossible, from the hippopotamus sandwich to the longest nose in the world. He wanted his readers to put something silly in the world. Shel Silverstein made children, as well as adults, laugh, cry, smile and sing with poems, art, and music.