SOURCE: MacDonald, Ruth K. “The Weirdness of Shel Silverstein.” Studies in American Humor 5, no. 4 (1986-1987): 267-79.

In the following essay, MacDonald discusses the commercial and popular success of Silverstein's books of poetry for children.

Poetry for children has long been one of the great unexplored areas in children's literature. Few reputations, either by poets or by critics, have been built on it, since most acclaim and notice goes to novels. What criticism exists derives from the “beauties” school—pointing out the beauties, the excellences of this poet, that line. The reasons for this neglect are two-fold: the American population's general distaste for poetry, except for the most simple rhyme, resulting from the second reason, the way poetry is introduced to children in school. Poetry has for some time had to be “taught” to children: presented in a pedagogical, systematic way, with emphasis on the literary and didactic values...