The Giving Tree (Slipcased Mini Edition)
by Shel Silverstein

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Book Summary Information

• ISBN13: 9780060284510
• Condition: New
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Book Reviews of The Giving Tree (Slipcased Mini Edition)

Book Review: The Giving Tree (school age)
Summary: 5 Stars

This is a great book; it carries with it a valuable lesson about life and relationships. Children may not be touched or influenced in the way adults are, but the exposure to the story introduces a new concept that can be carried through and reflected upon as they get older and further in their development.

Discussions can go in many directions with this book. Children may simply want to talk about things like climbing trees or picking apples. Children may love this story as just that, a story about a boy and a tree. Some may catch on to the meaning of the story and share their interpretation with the group. Open-ended questions can be used to encourage discussion about the story and it's meaning, ensuring that the positive messages are taken from the story. Asking things like "How do you think the tree felt when the boy was gone?" "Why do you think the tree didn't ask the boy to give her anything?" "Do you think the boy loved the tree?" Children may amaze you with their responses. Discussions and sharing are great extensions of the book. Children can use the information gained from the book and incorporate it into their social interactions, dramatic play, and personal relationships. These discussions can help plant one of many seeds towards the development of social skills and morality.

This book introduces a valuable lesson to children; however the author leaves it open to interpretation and does not force his personal meaning on the reader. Some read the book and see that it is about greed and selfishness, promoting the idea that taking advantage of someone you love is ok. I have heard it dubbed "The Taking Boy". It seems to be a controversial book that people either love or hate. I think, however, that if the educator/reader knows the children and extends the book with appropriate questions and discussions that the children will be exposed a deeper meaning, which can be carried on into future development. Some of us are the tree, some of us are the boy, some of us have been both, but most have been something in between, we can decide which one we want to be.

Summary of The Giving Tree (Slipcased Mini Edition)

"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.

This miniature full-cloth, gold-stamped edition will be treasured by all ages.

Reference & Nonfiction Books

• Books > Subjects > Children's Books
• Classics
• Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths