谢尔·希尔弗斯坦是诗人、插画家、剧作家、作曲家、乡村歌手。

作为20世纪最伟大的绘本作家之一，谢尔的绘本作品被翻译成30多种语言，全球销量起过1.8亿册。1974年《爱心树》的出版轰动文坛，一举奠定了谢尔在当代美国文学界的地位。在此后几十年，该书畅销不衰，累计销量起过550万。其他作品有：《失落的一角》、《失落的一角遇见大圆满》、《阁楼上的光》、《人行道的尽头》、《往上跌了一跤》等。

谢尔的绘本作品幽默温馨；简单朴实的插图、浅显的文字、淡淡的人生讽刺与生活哲学，不只吸引儿童，更掳获了大人们的心。

他为电影《明信片的边缘》所作的歌曲I’m Checking Out获得1991年第63届奥斯卡最佳原创歌曲奖提名；《人行道的尽头》同名唱片还获得1984年格莱美奖。

Last night while I lay thinking here

Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear

And pranced and partied all night long

And sang their same old Whatif song:

Whatif I flunk that test?

Whatif green hair grows on my chest?

Whatif nobody likes me?

Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?... Here in the attic of Shel Silverstein you will find Backward Bill, Sour Face Ann, the Meehoo with an Exactlywatt, and the Polar Bear in the Frigidaire. You will talk with Broiled Face, and find out what happens when Somebody steals your knees, you get caught by the Quick-Digesting Gink, a Mountain snores, and They Put a Brassiere on the Camel. From the creator of the beloved poetry collections Where the Sidewalk Ends and Falling Up, here is another wondrous book of poems and drawings. Notable Children's Books of 1981 (ALA)

Best Books of 1981 (SLJ)

Children's Books of 1981 (Library of Congress)

1981 Children's Books (NY Public Library)

1981 USA Children's Books of International Interest

Winner, 1983–84 William Allen White Award (Kansas)

Winner, 1983 Garden State Children's Book Award (New Jersey Library Association)

1984 Garden State Children's Book Award for Non-Fiction (New Jersey Library Association)

1984 George C. Stone Center for Children's Books (Claremont, CA) "Recognition of Merit" Award