US Postal Service honors Jewish poet Shel Silverstein with 'The Giving Tree' stamps

(JTA) - The United States Postal Service released a new series of Forever stamps Friday in honor of Shel Silverstein, the Jewish author and illustrator who died in 1999.

The stamps commemorate what is perhaps Silverstein's most famous book, "The Giving Tree," which tells the story of the relationship between a boy and a tree. The stamps feature an image of the boy from the story catching an apple with Silverstein's name written below.

"The issuance honors the extraordinarily versatile Shel Silverstein (1930-1999), one of the 20th century's most imaginative authors and illustrators. His picture...