Shel Silverstein: Back to Children's Books

It may seem as if Shel Silverstein dropped off the edge of the earth - or at least the end of the sidewalk. But during a 15-year hiatus from children's books, this prolific artist tried out several new genres - from plays to songs.

But he's best known for such books as "The Giving Tree" and "Where the Sidewalk Ends." And Mr. Silverstein has just returned to children's books - with quite a bang. His newest book, "Falling Up," hit The New York Times bestseller list.

But before this return to the mass market, several of his one-act plays appeared in New York, including "The Lady or the Tiger" and "The Crate." He also wrote a Johnny Cash hit called "A Boy Named Sue."

Silverstein had "a tremendous creative burst, trying out different art forms," says Robert Warren, the executive editor of HarperCollins Children's Books. But his return to children's writing will only add to the 14 million copies of his books already in print.

Silverstein lives in New York. Trying to keep out of the public eye, he doesn't grant interviews.