Sheldon Allan Silverstein, popularly known as Shel Silverstein, was an American poet, singer-songwriter, children’s author, cartoonist, and screenwriter. Born during the Great Depression into an immigrant Jewish family in Chicago, he was raised under difficult conditions for the first few years of his life. To keep his mind away from the trouble, he started doodling early in his childhood. Never good in studies, he could not adjust anywhere until he entered Roosevelt University, where his talent was recognized and nurtured by his English professor. But before he could graduate, he was drafted into the army to serve in the Korean War. It was while working for the military newspaper ‘Pacific Stars and Stripes’ that he first started drawing cartoons. On returning home he started submitting cartoons to various journals, ultimately joining Playboy as a cartoonist and roving reporter, making a name in the field. Slowly, he evolved as a successful singer-songwriter, holding copyright for more than 800 songs. His children’s books, translated into thirty languages, have sold over 20 million copies, and continue to dominate best-seller lists.