Shel Silverstein: Timeless entertaining children's author

'Everything On It' by Shel Silverstein

On September 25, 1930, Shel Silverstein, the witty and entertaining children’s author was born in Chicago, Illinois, and during his 68 years of life, he produced some of the finest evergreen classic children’s books that are still cherished today by new generations of fans both young and old.

Admired for his ability to wed and rhyme hilarious word choices, which were born from conscious deliberation, Silverstein produced some of the most delightful books of poetry that capture the carefree silliness of childhood.

Children gravitate to his distinctive style and grasp his works quite easily. His simple line drawings are the perfect adjunct to his text and help add focus as well as promote imagination and discussion.

Early last week, HarperCollins posthumously published a new title of Silverstein’s poems and drawings, Everything On It, which had been compiled from Silverstein’s archives and selected by his family for publication.

Everything On It, is an outstanding collection of more than 130 never-before-released poems and line drawings, and is already garnering five-star reviews on Amazon.com.

Silverstein wore many other hats in addition to being a children’s poet/author and illustrator, he was also an accomplished playwright, screenwriter, recording artist, composer, and lyricist whose music has been performed by such legends as:  Kris Kristofferson'  the Irish Rovers; the late Waylon Jennings, and Johnny Cash. In fact, it was Silverstein’s song, “A Boy Named Sue,” which was performed by Cash that won Silverstein a coveted GRAMMY in 1970.

If you’re not familiar with the writings of Shel Silverstein, his “Official” website, ShelSilverstein.com is a wonderful place to start, and is presented in a choice of “high” or “low” bandwidth for custom navigation.

The site is geared to children, parents and educators. For kids there are free and entertaining games, puzzles, downloads, animations and e-cards. For parents/educators there are complimentary lessons and activities, event kits, drawing and activity booklets along with a list of all of his books, which includes sample excerpts and on-line buying resources.

If you are interested in reading the multitude of four and mostly five star reviews his other books elicit, Amazon.com has a special Silverstein author page, or check with your local library for recommendations.

In 1964, Silverstein opted for a change of writing pace and created one of his most memorable works, The Giving Tree, a parable about giving from the heart without expectation, a lesson that is as fresh today as when it was first penned.

Over the years, The Giving Tree’s sage and simple message has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Below, for your enjoyment is an animated video of Giving Tree that was produced and narrated by Shel Silverstein in 1973.

The Book Report: Sharing the latest in books, apps and literary marketplace news

"Books" by Paula Slade

In this week’s edition of the “Book Report”, we’ll be focusing solely on 42 top-selling children’s picture books that have been expertly translated into video format and presented on three differently themed DVD sets. These collections are designed to come to life on the small screen and entertain as well as reinforce reading skills.

All three of the DVD sets that are featured below, are part of the Scholastic Storybook Treasures™ line, and bear the hallmark of quality from the Scholastic Corporation, the world’s largest publisher/distributor of children’s books in addition to being a leader in educational technology and children’s media.

Each picture book adaptation is produced by the award-winning Weston Woods Studios, a division of Scholastic Media, and is distributed to the public by New Video.

The production values for these DVDs are of the highest quality; each book is presented with music, professional narration, and inviting camera work, which frequently includes animation. Illustrations have been extracted from the original books, which proved over time to be beloved children’s classics.

All of the stories help reinforce emerging reading skills with a special embedded read-along function, which is presented with the visuals and narration.

To explore each book’s title and storyline presented within these collections, simply click on the links that are provided.

BOOKS ON DVD

MY FIRST COLLECTION FEATURING SPLAT THE CAT

This 3-DVD set runs 1 hour and 40 minutes, and includes “extras,” and features 14 stories that have won more than 15 awards, including the Caldecott Medal, NAPPA Gold, and American Library Association Notable Books.

Designed to encourage toddlers to give reading a try, this collection also supports the key concepts of friendship and cooperation - perfect for children ages 2 to 6.

Professionally narrated by Catherine O’Hara, Laura Dern, Tim Curray and Mary Beth Hurt, the DVD includes an interview with Splat the Cat Author/Illustrator Rob Scotton, and a Spanish version of The Story About Ping.

The suggested retail price for MY FIRST COLLECTION FEATURING SPLAT THE CAT is $24.95.  Amazon.com currently has this set available for  $12.49 with best pricing through Amazon Marketplace for $4.83.

The storybooks presented in this DVD are the following:

Splat the Cat;    Hondo & Fabian;    Picnic;    Leo the Late Bloomer;    The Story About Ping;    Goose;    The Most Wonderful Egg in the World;    Duck on a Bike;    Rosie’s Walk;    The Napping House;    Each Peach Pear Plum;    Drummer Hoff;    Bear Snores On, and  Wild About Books.

 

GOOD NIGHT GORILLA…AND MORE WACKY ANIMAL ADVENTURES

This DVD 3-Discs set features a rollicking mix of amazing animal stories, monsters that are friendly and creatures that come to life, and represents Caldecott and Newbury Honor-winning books, and an ALA Notable Video as well as an Oppenheim Gold DVD Award.

The collection of stories supports the theme of science and the skill of cooperation and is recommended for children ages 4 to 10.

The 16 different stories are celebrity narrated by such notables as: Anthony Edwards, Mary Beth Hurt, Elle Fanning, and Lynn Whitfield.

The set runs 2 hours and 40 minutes and includes the following “extras”: Spanish versions of Danny and the Dinosaur, The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash, Doctor De Soto, and Joey Runs Away.  There also are interviews with Author Robin Page and Illustrator Steven Jenkins, and an interview with First the Egg Author Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

The suggested retail price for GOOD NIGHT GORILLA…AND MORE WACKY ANIMAL ADVENTURES is $24.95 and may be pre-ordered directly through New Video, and will be shipped upon date of release, which is June 28, 2011.

The storybooks presented in this DVD are the following:

Good Night Gorillla;    Happy Birthday Moon;    The Napping House;    The Rainbabies;    Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin;    Elizabeth’s Doll;    Danny and the Dinosaur;    The Island of Skog;    T is for Terrible;    Stanley and the Dinosaurs;    The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash;    Doctor De Soto;    Flossie and the Fox;    First the Egg;    What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?  and  Joey Runs Away.

 

I’M DIRTY & I STINK!

Fun, action and adventure tales about trucks, trash, boats and bikes in this 2-Disc DVD set with running time of two hours and four minutes, which includes Caldecott Honor, Publisher’s Weekly and ALA Notable Award-winning titles.

The set features 12 stories, an interview with I’m Dirty author and illustrator Kate and Jim McMullan, and an interview with Fletcher and the Falling leaves author Julia Rawlinson, along with celebrity narration by Andy Richter, Forest Whitaker, and Steve Buscemi.

The DVD set supports the understanding of science and nature and highlights the concept of responsibility – a good choice for children ages 3 to 10.

The suggested retail price for I’M DIRTY & I STINK! is $19.95 and may be pre-ordered directly through New Video, and will be shipped upon date of release, which is June 28, 2011.

The storybooks presented in this DVD are the following:

I Stink!    Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel;    Trashy Town;    The Remarkable Riderless Runaway Tricycle;    The Beast of Monsieur Racine;    Arnie the Doughnut;    I’m Dirty!    Burt Dow: Deep Water Man;    The Paperboy;    Stars! Stars! Stars!    Fletcher and the Falling Leaves and  Johnny Appleseed.

A child-pleasing calendar of events at the Eric Carle Museum

A marvelous lineup of programs to entertain and help shake off the winter doldrums awaits children and their families at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

Located in western Massachusetts, the Museum draws regular patrons from all across New England and those visiting the east coast.

Founded by beloved children’s book author/illustrator Eric Carle, and his wife Barbara, patrons are invited to view some of the finest original works of art created for children’s picture books, which are part of rotating exhibitions housed in three separate galleries.

In addition to the galleries, the Museum offers the Reading Library for your family’s enjoyment, where you’ll share books with your child that mirror the works currently on exhibit.

Also within the Museum, an Art Studio invites children to participate in scheduled hands-on classes and creative events - everything from picture book making to music and dance.

And, there is a Café and a Museum Store available to round out your visit.

The following is a list of current and upcoming exhibits and events:

SHREK! Illustration copyright
© 1990 by William Steig.
Used by permission of
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

From now until Sunday, January 23, 2011, MONSTERS AND MIRACLES: A Journey through Jewish Picture Books, features the works of the following authors and artists: “Eric Carle, Daniel Pinkwater, Maurice Sendak, Margot Zemach, Mark Podwal, Francine Prose, Lemony Snicket, Art Spiegelman, and William Steig.”

 In addition, the MONSTERS exhibition includes “historical examples dating as early as the twelfth century” and “encompasses the work of luminaries Isaac Bashevis Singer, Marc Chagall, and El Lissitzky. “

 Also in the galleries, from now until Sunday, May 1, 2011, the exhibition, PARTNERS IN WONDER: Selections from the Collection of Jane Yolen. 

Yolen, the prolific, award-winning author who is often referred to as the “Hans Christian Andersen of America,” has collaborated with numerous artists over the years, and according to the Carle’s Chief Curator H. Nicholas Clark, “she has forged deep ties to many of the artists who have illustrated her books. As a result she has formed a truly rich and wide-ranging collection that would be the envy of any serious collector.”

The works that are part of this collection includes illustrations by Kathryn Brown, Tomie dePaola, Jane Dyer, Lauren Mills, Barry Moser, Dennis Nolan, and Ruth Sanderson, and on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm, patrons are invited to “join Jane Yolen and a distinguished group of illustrators of her work as they discuss the interplay of words and pictures in the process of creating a picture book.” This special event is FREE with Museum admission.

Saturday, January 8, 2011 a marionette performance for children three and older, by the Hartsbrook Marionettes, as they present THE GRATEFUL CRANE, an adaptation from a collection of Japanese stories from The Listening Cap by Yoshiko Uchida, which was published in 1954.

Performances of THE GRATEFUL CRANE are at| 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and are offered FREE with a Museum admission.

Opening on Tuesday, February 8, 2011 and remaining on view until Sunday, June 5, 2011, a new gallery exhibition, WHAT A CIRCUS! The Art of Etienne Delessert.

In celebration of his 70th birthday, the works of internationally acclaimed Swiss painter/graphic artist/illustrator, and publisher Delessert comes to The Carle.

 Delessert’s books, translated into more than 15 languages, have interested and entertained children in the United States and Europe for decades.

The exhibition spans Delessert’s earliest book, The Endless Party (1967), to his most recent (2010) work, Spartacus The Spider. On Saturday, February 19, 2010 there is a special members opening reception from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Opening Monday, April 18 2011 and running through Friday April 22, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. every day, the Cactus Head Puppets present: JUST SO STORIES a collection of three tales of “mischief and magic that tell how some of your favorite animals came to be.” Child-pleasing adaptations of How the Camel Got His Hump, How the Rhino Got His Skin, and The Beginning of the Armadillos will be performed. Admission is $5.00 (Museum members $4.50.)

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is located at 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, Massachusetts.

Hours for the Museum are Tuesday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5:00 p.m.

General admission is $9 for adults, $6 for children under 18, and $22.50 for a family of four.

For further program information and directions, call 413-658-1100 or visit online by following this link to the Museum’s website and taking an introductory virtual tour.