Silverstein's books will remain children's classics for generations (Everett Collection).

Children love the snappy, rhyming lines and fun illustrations. Adults appreciate the nostalgic undertones in his stories. 

But Silverstein’s literature is far from simple. In order to reach a wide audience of varying interests and ages, he had to infuse children’s literature with not-so-child-like themes. 

Some criticized his storylines for being bizarre and sending wrong messages to children. Central Columbia Pennsylvania banned Silverstein’s collection of poems “Where the Sidewalk Ends” in 1993, claiming that the poem “Dreadful” encouraged cannibalism. 

The lines in question?

“We’ll give away her toys and clothes.
We’ll never have to wipe her nose.
Dad says, ‘That’s the way it goes.’
Someone ate the baby.”

A father himself, Silverstein surely was not sending bad messages through his writing. He dedicated his book "A Light in the Attic" to his daughter Shosanna and "Falling Up" to his son Matthew. 

Silverstein’s most successful book is “The Giving Tree” (1964), which has gone on to sell more than 20 million copies in 30 different languages. 

Whether the tree is masochistic or altruistic in her love of the boy and whether the boy is selfishly parasitic or reasonable as he matures in life are interpretations that continue to be debated today.  

People either love “The Giving Tree” or hate it. Decide for yourself.

Top 10 Silverstein Quotes:

• I myself do not believe in explaining anything. 
• Once there was a tree, and she loved a little boy. - "The Giving Tree"
• Tell me I'm clever,
  Tell me I'm kind, 
  Tell me I'm talented, 
  Tell me I'm cute, 
  Tell me I'm sensitive, 
  Graceful and wise, 
  Tell me I'm perfect - 
  But tell me the truth. 
  - "Tell Me"
• Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be. - "Listen to the Mustn'ts" in "Where the Sidewalk Ends"
• If you want to find out what a writer or a cartoonist really feels, look at his work. That's enough.
• I believe that if you don't want to do anything, then sit there and don't do it, but don't expect people to hand you a corn beef sandwich and wash your socks for you and unzip your fly for you.

• All The Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
  Layin' In The Sun,
  Talkin' 'Bout The Things
  They Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda Done...
  But All Those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
  All Ran Away And Hid
  From One Little Did.
  - "Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda"
• My skin is kind of sort of brownish pinkish yellowish white. My eyes are greyish blueish green, but I'm told they look orange in the night. My hair is reddish blondish brown, but its silver when its wet, and all the colors I am inside have not been invented yet. - "Colors" in "Where the Sidewalk Ends"
• I will not play at tug o' war.
  I'd rather play at hug o' war,
  Where everyone hugs
  Instead of tugs,
  Where everyone giggles
  And rolls on the rug,
  Where everyone kisses,
  And everyone grins,
  And everyone cuddles,
  And everyone wins. 
  - "Hug o'War" in "Where the Sidewalk Ends"
• My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
  My temperature is one-o-eight.
  My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,

  There's a hole inside my ear.

  I have a hangnail, and my heart is ...
  What? What's that? What's that you say?
  You say today is .............. Saturday?

  G'bye, I'm going out to play!
  - "Sick" in "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

Reach Reporter Melissah Yang here. Follow her on Twitter.