謝爾·希爾弗斯坦是詩人、插畫傢、劇作傢、作麯傢、鄉村歌手。

作為20世紀最偉大的繪本作傢之一，謝爾的繪本作品被翻譯成30多種語言，全球銷量起過1.8億冊。1974年《愛心樹》的齣版轟動文壇，一舉奠定瞭謝爾在當代美國文學界的地位。在此後幾十年，該書暢銷不衰，纍計銷量起過550萬。其他作品有：《失落的一角》、《失落的一角遇見大圓滿》、《閣樓上的光》、《人行道的盡頭》、《往上跌瞭一跤》等。

謝爾的繪本作品幽默溫馨；簡單樸實的插圖、淺顯的文字、淡淡的人生諷刺與生活哲學，不隻吸引兒童，更擄獲瞭大人們的心。

他為電影《明信片的邊緣》所作的歌麯I’m Checking Out獲得1991年第63屆奧斯卡最佳原創歌麯奬提名；《人行道的盡頭》同名唱片還獲得1984年格萊美奬。

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