Every Thing On It

Shel Silverstein’s children’s books are timeless. Take The Giving Tree. This moving and poignant illustrated book was originally published in 1964 and still has the same power as it did when it was initially released, even more so. This book, along with Silverstein’s other titles, have proven over the decades that they have staying power and truly are classics in the world of children’s literature. And apparently his work is the gift that keeps on giving. A new book by Shel Silverstein is being released twelve years after his death.

On September 20th,  the book Every Thing on It, which is a collection of 137 unpublished poems and drawings – will be released. And for Shel Silverstein fans – and there are many – having more of his work to read, enjoy and share with their children is quite a gift.

Check out our picks for the top 5 Shel Silverstein books. Which is your favorite?

(also check out another new work by a beloved author – a new Maurice Sendak book here!)

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Books for children are rarely subtle. Points are made clearly, obviously, and over and over again. You may also experience a certain amount of repetition when it comes to the reading of these books, as children are sometimes known to request the same book more than once (or more than a hundred times).

In the process, you are likely to develop a deep understanding of the message the author was trying to convey. Sometimes so deep that you feel the point of the story has etched marks on the inside of your skull. If you’re an impatient and easily bored parent like me, you might find yourself wishing the books were just a little bit… shorter.

In which case you will appreciate the work of Dan Wilbur, who has compiled a collection of the world’s greatest books, distilled down to their very essences. As in: a newly revised title, meant to encapsulate the entire message of the book.

See, for example, his take on Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, at left.

See more kids’ favorites after the jump.  Continue reading »

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Are children’s book authors’ lives as squeaky clean as the tales they crank out to bookstores? The other day, I misplaced my better nature and took to the Internet for some research. As it turns out, even the authors of some of the most endearing and cherished children’s classics kept some sordid secrets that didn’t make it on the bio page.

Aesop

The granddaddy of kid’s lit, Aesop’s Fables (like “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Ant and the Grasshopper”), ensured him adoration for hundreds of generations. Too bad everyone back in the 6^th century B.C. hated his guts.

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Any NPR geeks out there? Somehow, given the high intelligence and information hunger of our readers (not to mention your good looks and pleasant aroma), I think there are. So you might be pleasantly surprised to find out that Madeline Brand, former host of the canceled “Day to Day” show, now has joined the totally fun — and highly lucrative (cough) — world of parenting blogging (although actually, it might just be a financial step up from public radio). She’ll be writing and podcasting for the LA Times.

And based on the first post, it’s going to be a worthy read. She describes her objectives thusly: Continue reading »

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