The+Giving+Tree+2

Bibliographic Data: The Giving Tree Author: Shel Silverstein Publisher: Harper & Row, Publishers Reading Grade Level: Grade 1 and up IBS: 06-025665-6 Language: English Price: Hard Cover: USA $10.75

Summary: This book tells the story of the relationship of a tree and a boy. The boy loves this tree and the tree would give him apples and let him swing from his branches, play make believe games and when he became tired, he would sleep at her trunk in the shade. As boy grows older he begins to expect more from the tree including money, but the tree can only offer her apples. The boy climbs the tree and starts selling the apples. Then, the man wants a house and then a boat so he cuts of her branches and cuts off her trunk. The tree becomes sad and has nothing left to give the man. The last thing the man wants is a quiet place to sit and rest so she offers the only thing that’s left, her stump. The tree is happy as the man sits and rests.

Review: This story is so very touching and still gets me every time I read it. The writing is excellent and it flows very well, with only a few words on each page, allowing breath in between pages, while the story lends so much to the reader from sadness to happiness. For young children, this book allows for some philosophical discussion about altruism, greed, nature, love, conservationism and aging. The pictures also supply a great visual for readers with illustrations that allow you to see the boy age with the tree.

Analysis of Literary Elements: The character development is very essential to the Giving Tree. The character development spans a lifetime for the boy and the tree, as they grow old together. The boy starts out as innocent and free and really only wants to play and not take from the tree. But, as the boy grows into a man he begins to take more and more from the tree until there is nothing left but a stump. What I really love is that while the physical nature of the tree changes, she never stops wanting to please the boy and man. Her character only changes physically but not emotionally, as she still loves the boy as he sits on her stump.

About the Author: Shel Silverstein was an American poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, and author of children’s books. He wrote and illustrated //The Giving Tree// and did it in such an artful way, yet simple so the children could understand the pictures they were looking at. He was tremendously talented in both writing and illustrating this book, and other books, poems, and pieces. Silverstein died in 1999 from a massive heart attack. He is still known for writing and illustrating //The Giving Tree// which has been translated to many different languages and is widely popular throughout the world.