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First published in 1963, the late Shel Silverstein's children's book debut Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back, will resonate with young readers much as it did 40 years ago. The affable narrator Uncle Shelby's story begins: "Once there was a young lion and his name was--well, I don't really know what his name was because he lived in the jungle with a lot of other lions and if he did have a name it certainly wasn't a name like Joe or Ernie or anything like that." That all changes, however, when a circus man discovers the lion's skills as a marksman (the lion took a gun from a hunter he ate) and names him Lafcadio the Great. When the circus man takes Lafcadio to New York City, the story takes on a certain Crocodile Dundee quality--the lion eats the menu at a fancy restaurant, demands marshmallows (he likes the sound of them), and is captivated by the hotel elevator. As Lafcadio becomes more civilized and rich and famous, however, he becomes more unhappy. In the end, to entertain the increasingly despondent star, the circus man takes Lafcadio hunting in Africa where he encounters his old lion friends on the other end of his gun. Is Lafcadio now a man or is he a lion? He decides he is neither and wanders alone into the valley. In typical Silverstein style, this exuberantly-silly-yet-poignant fable, illustrated with simple, expressive line drawings, asks more questions than it answers. The glee the author derives from wordplay and the sound of language is positively contagious. This read-aloud classic belongs on every child's bookshelf. (Ages 6 to 10) --Karin Snelson
Book Description
"You don't have to shoot me," says the young lion. "I will be your rug and I will lie in front of your fireplace and I won't move a muscle and you can sit on me and toast all the marshmallows you want. I love marshmallows."
But the hunter will not listen to reason, so what is there for a young lion to do? After eating up the hunter, Lafcadio takes the gun home and practices and practices until he becomes the world's greatest sharp-shooter.
Now dressed in starched collars and fancy suits, and enjoying all the marshmallows he wants, Lafcadio is pampered and admired wherever he goes. But is a famous, successful, and admired lion a happy lion? Or is he a lion at all?
Told and drawn with wit and gusto, Shel Silverstein's modern fable speaks not only to children but to us all!
About the Author
If you are a dreamer, come in, begins Invitation, the opening poem in Where the Sidewalk Ends. Millions of dreamers have answered that call, returning again and again to the poems, drawings, fables, songs, plays, and all the other inspired creations of the incomparable Shel Silverstein.Born in Chicago on September 25, 1930, Sheldon Allan Silverstein grew up to attain an enormous public following, but he always preferred to say little about himself. When I was a kid, he told Publishers Weekly in 1975, I would much rather have been a good baseball player or a hit with the girls. But I couldn't play ball. I couldn't dance. So I started to draw and to write. He began contributing cartoons to Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military publication, when he was serving in the armed forces in Korea during the 1950s.Shel Silverstein never planned on writing and illustrating books for children, but happily they are now available in more than 30 languages around the world. His first book, Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book, published in 1961, was intended for adults. But Tomi Ungerer, a friend whose own career in children's books was blossoming, introduced him to his editor, Harper's legendary Ursula Nordstrom. In 1963, Shel Silverstein's first children's book appeared, Lafcadio, the Lion who Shot Back, the story of a lion who becomes a famous marksman only to discover that worldly success is not what he wants.The next year brought The Giving Tree. The book sold modestly at first, but soon this gentle parable about a boy and the tree that loved him was admired by readers of all ages, recommended by counselors and teachers, and being read aloud from pulpits. Decades after its initial publication, with more than five and a half million copies sold, The Giving Tree holds a permanent spot atop lists of perennial bestsellers.Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein's first collection of poems, was published in 1974 and hailed as an instant classic. Its poems and drawings were applauded for their zany wit, irreverent wisdom, and tender heart. Two more collections followed: A Light in the Attic, in 1981, and Falling Up, in 1996. Both books dominated bestseller lists for months, with A Light in the Attic shattering all previous records for its 182-week stay on the New York Times list. Silverstein's unique talent ranged broadly. He enjoyed a long career as a songwriter, with credits that included the Johnny Cash's number one hit A Boy Named Sue and I'm Checking Out, written for the film Postcards from the Edge and nominated for an Academy Award in 1991. He performed his own music on a number of albums and produced others for friends, including his last, Old Dogs, which was released in 1998. Silverstein won a Grammy Award in 1984 for his selection of poems recited, sung and shouted from Where the Sidewalk Ends.Shel Silverstein was so accomplished as a playwright that Frank Rich, the New York Times critic, once wondered if the theater may eventually prove his most fruitful career to date. His theatrical work included the 1981 hit The Lady or the Tiger Show as well as Remember Crazy Zelda? and Wild Life (the 1988 production of several one-act plays that prompted Mr. Rich's happy speculation). He and David Mamet each wrote a play for Lincoln Center's production of Oh, Hell, and they later collaborated on writing the 1988 film Things Change, which Mr. Mamet also directed.For many years, Shel Silverstein maintained homes in Greenwich Village, Key West, Martha's Vineyard, and on a houseboat in Sausalito, California. He died in Key West in May 1999.
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