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The Giving Tree Review
'Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy.' So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave. This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return. Ages 10+ User Submitted The Giving Tree ReviewsDecember 2, 2008 A little story with a big heart... It's amazing how a book, barely a hundred in pages, could quickly and intensely impart so much sadness and despair, and with something so simple and as complicated as unconditional love. Sure, a number of readers have probably thought that the tree was nothing but a big sop, a martyr blind to the selfishness and capricious whims of a child, but shouldn't the object of our unceasing wonder be the always unpredictable capacity of one's sacrifice for love? Beyond what a tree could give, imagine what a person would be willing to go through. Tragic, true--but that is what also makes us human. November 27, 2008 One of the Best Children's Books Ever Written In 1974, I gave this to my then seven-year-old son for Christmas - a time for "Giving." I let several days pass and then asked him if he had read the book. He had, so I asked him if he liked it. He said he did, so I asked him what he liked about it. He told me he was glad the tree was still there enough for the man to sit on because the man needed a good friend. Out of the mouths of babes, I thought. I remember stroking his head and saying, "You're right, he did. I'm glad, too, that he had such a good friend to whom to return." It was his observation that made me realize the tree wasn't left anything, but instead, as it used up its life in good deeds, it remained just as useful as a stump to sit on as it did when it was a full tree. Socrates observed that "The unexamined life is not worth living." Upon examination of my own life, I have found what makes it most worth living is being useful to others. My son is now 38 and has always been generous of spirit and deed. He still has this book with my Christmas inscription, "To the best son a mom could hope for" written on the inside cover, and his three children have read it. I've never "told" my son what is right or wrong. I preferred using the Socratic method of asking questions that provoked him to think more deeply and far beyond the tip of his nose. That's what this book does, and does brilliantly. November 23, 2008 This book a must. I bought this for my granddaughters after they lost all their books in a flood this summer. I am trying to rebuild their library. It is a wonderful classic book and comes with an audio CD of Shel Silverstein reading it. Definitely a must for any child's library. November 19, 2008 Great for all ages. The tree that keeps giving, wanting nothing in return but to please the little boy. It's a wonderful story and teaches a lesson, at any age. I found myself feeling like the giving tree lately, while part of a non-profit organization. When I verbalized the analogy, I realized that many people had never heard of the book. It's on top of my gift list this year. October 31, 2008 I can't believe this book was in the Childrens section My little girl is four years old. I was strolling around the book store looking for simple books to read. I picked this book up after only reading the first few pages. With the simple syntax and simple line drawings, I thought this would be a book we could read at bed time. Toward the end of the book, I shut it and picked another bedtime book to read her. This story may be representative of real life, the aging of a relationship, we all grow old and pass away, or maybe it is a metaphor for some co-dependent relationship, what ever. I will not be reading it to my daughter again. I'll put it high on the shelf and let her find it later in life. This book did not belong in the small childrens section. The book was not placed there by mistake as there was an entire stack of them. I thought the story was excellent, and I had mixed emotions when I finished reading it but it is not for young sensitive children. My daughter is part of a diviorced family and I think it would have a negative impact on her little mind as she is trying to figure her own life out as things already exist. Definitely not for small children! October 30, 2008 great message!! Also donated to a local charity--they are collecting books for a holiday raffle this year... It is one of childrens' favorites! October 17, 2008 not so controversial actually...... i'm a child psychology major. anyone who says this is bad for a child is obviously reading way too much into the book, and does not realize children are not capable of doing the same. this is actually a very good book for children. shame on you people and your awful thoughts. October 1, 2008 Its a great book, with a great philosophy. Read between the lines. The moral of the story is touching, its a great gift to give a parent. September 30, 2008 Embarassing Parenthood I just read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein for the first time. Now, I do remember having the book read to me at the public library when I was little, and I am pretty sure it was featured in Reading Rainbow, so the story is not new to me. However, since this is the first time I ever read the story on the other side of parenthood, I was surprised by my overwhelming emotional reaction to the book. I read it as a bedtime story to my two lovely girls and I wept for the brief interval of time where I can help form them as young Christian ladies. More surprising to me than my emotional response, was how I understand the Tree much better now. As a child, I guess I pitied the tree and sympathized with the boy. I simply expected that the Tree enjoyed helping the boy so the Tree was happy. Now I know that the Tree did enjoy helping the boy, but that the Tree suffered as the boy grew since the boy grew further away. I guess The Giving Tree taught me the lesson of love which I only absorb intellectually from the tree of the cross. Successful love, like successful parenting, involves suffering. The better I do my job of raising my daughters into mature, independent ladies, the more I will miss these years of providing everything for them. Reprinted with permission from http://naturalfamilylife.blogspot.com September 27, 2008 A boy and a tree? Really, I believe this is a fantastic piece of work and a tribute to the genius that is Shel Silverstien. But I also always have to wonder about the ambiguous message of the story and is truly meant. There is so much contraction. Clearly the tree represents love, but she completely gives of herself entirely for so little. The debate is indeed the charm, though. For more The Giving Tree reviews click here.
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