A hallway in Darwin Elementary School, where Shel Silverstein was a student. The new stamp is featured in the bottom left corner. Photo courtesy of Chicago Public Schools
👋 Hey, Monica here. Some of my favorite CPS memories were listening to teachers read poems from Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends."
- I still get choked up by Silverstein's "The Giving Tree," about a tree that surrenders everything to a boy.
Why it matters: The U.S. Postal Service recently introduced a Shel Silverstein Forever stamp.
- It pays tribute to the late writer and illustrator by using an image from "The Giving Tree."
The intrigue: The stamp made its world debut last week in a presentation at Darwin Elementary School in Logan Square — notable because Silverstein went there in the '40s, followed by high school at Roosevelt in Albany Park.
- What? How did I not know Silverstein went to CPS?
- I hope every area parent who reads his books to their kids tells them about the hometown connection.
- I'll be getting the stamps to send letters to my kids — also CPS alums — and remind them of the days when we used to read "Where the Sidewalk Ends" before bed.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Chicago.
More Chicago stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Chicago.