The Giving Tree
Amazon Description:
To say that this particular apple tree is a "giving tree" is an understatement. In Shel Silverstein's popular tale of few words and simple line drawings, a tree starts out as a leafy playground, shade provider, and apple bearer for a rambunctious little boy. Making the boy happy makes the tree happy, but with time it becomes more challenging for the generous tree to meet his needs. When he asks for money, she suggests that he sell her apples. When he asks for a house, she offers her branches for lumber. When the boy is old, too old and sad to play in the tree, he asks the tree for a boat. She suggests that he cut her down to a stump so he can craft a boat out of her trunk. He unthinkingly does it. At this point in the story, the double-page spread shows a pathetic solitary stump, poignantly cut down to the heart the boy once carved into the tree as a child that said "M.E. + T." "And then the tree was happy... but not really." When there's nothing left of her, the boy returns again as an old man, needing a quiet place to sit and rest. The stump offers up her services, and he sits on it. "And the tree was happy." While the message of this book is unclear (Take and take and take? Give and give and give? Complete self-sacrifice is good? Complete self-sacrifice is infinitely sad?), Silverstein has perhaps deliberately left the book open to interpretation. (All ages) --Karin Snelson
Added on: Thursday, July 06 2006
Recent Reviews:
First book
when i was learning how to read, this was the first book i read all by myself. and the first book i fully understood, i loved it, i still cry when reading it, because i know that i could never give as much as that tree.
such an impression on little minds
When I was pregnant, I bought this book to read to my daughter. I just new it was a must-have for our collection. Silverstein so simply puts the feelings that a mother will have for her child, or how anyone who loves will give for the one of their affection. Give and give, and happily give until the end.
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Recent Quotes:
innocence
This book is wonderful! This was the first book I read to my little brother and he has loved it ever since. He is 9 now and we still share reading this book but now he reads it to me.
Love it!