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+

Amazon.com Review
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

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 604 reviews)

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.
October 01, 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 30, 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.
September 27, 2008

classic book to share with your children

i bought this as a gift for a friend of mine who is always the person giving everything they have to others, it is a great story and if you havent read it, please do, it is truly wonderful
September 20, 2008

A Changing Lesson for EVERY Age

Every child and adult should have this book.

There are many controversies about The Giving Tree, many will write that it is a self-less act of love, an issue with co-dependency, or may even send a bad example of relationships with creating selfish children/adults.

I think one of the greatest things about this story is that you can interpret it differently at evolving life stages.

From a child who sees a self-less act of love to an adult who has been in a troubled relationship (much like the tree and the boy).

Regardless, I believe that this story clearly shows 2 sides of A relationship, and if the the reader feels bad for the tree - it is a way to learn how to appreciate and recognize such unconditional love. To always be thankful.
August 26, 2008

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak

Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings
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by Crockett Johnson

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
by Judith Viorst
by Ray Cruz

Falling Up
by Shel Silverstein