The_Giving_Tree

Silverstein, Shel. //The Giving Tree//. New York: HarperCollins, 1964. ISBN: 00-06-025665-6. Hardcover. 50 pps. (unnumbered)

“Once there was a tree. . . and she loved a little boy.” So begins the picture book, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Using personification and simple black and white line drawings, Silverstein creates a very believable character, an apple tree, who befriends a little boy and teaches him the importance of love, acceptance, forgiveness, regret, and respect. Not only does this parable speak to the issues of personal relationships and collaboration, for older readers it raises additional issues such as conservation, environment, ecology, and sexism. Engaging and thought provoking, It is truly a book for all ages. Great as a read aloud, teachers will find it has many applications from teaching theme and characterization to introducing multiple lenses of literary criticism. Nearly fifty years old, this book continues to give and give and give.

And the reader was happy. The End.