The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Giving Tree
Book Review: A Story To Grow Up And Grow Old With.
Summary: 5 Stars
I highly recommend this book for children and adults alike. I am 31 years old and I am reviewing this book as I interpreted it at 7 yrs. of age. I remember seeing it in a bookstore and the cover immediately drawing my attention. I was deeply moved from the start of the story, and I was crying before the end. My initial response to the book was the loving, unselfish kindness of the tree and the ungratefulness of the boy. I did not think into any more detail than that. However, I have applied the knowledge I received from the book to my entire life. I believe that Shel Silverstein wanted to instill in children to respect Nature and Humanity and "Do Unto Others As You Would Like Done Unto You". I read this book often when in bookstores even though I own a copy. I have kept "The Giving Tree" and "Charlottes Web" dear to my heart and they have had a profound affect on my life. When I become saddened by the callous and selfish thoughts of people, I ask them if they have read this book. It also reminds me that we were not given this Earth to exploit,but merely borrowing it from Humanities and Nature's future generations.Book Review: A BEAUTIFUL STORY!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those books with a powerful message. What you take that message to mean will depend on the reader's interpretation. It is about a boy "with the wants" and as the boy grows older, the "wants" increase. The tree is wise and giving but encourages the boy to do things for himself. As the boy matures, and eventually becomes an old man, there is nothing left of the tree but a stump. It is a rather sad story, to see the tree give so much of itself to the point where there is nothing left to give. The old man sits on the stump and ponders this. The book is worth its weight in gold for the message it portrays and is beautifully written.Book Review: A Book for All Ages
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great book with a message for all from young to old. Great to give as a gift. Highly recommended.Book Review: A Book that Gives rather than Takes
Summary: 5 Stars
Liv Tyler in an interview mentioned that Giving Tree was one of her favourite books and when David Letterman asked Madonna on his show a few weeks ago to name a book that has inspired her, she said it was the Giving Tree. No matter where you stand on the social spectrum, this book has reached multitudes of people worldwide with its bittersweet tale of unconditional love.
For those who have not had the pleasure yet, the Giving Tree plays a part not unlike the parts our parents play - in that no matter how many times we disappoint them; our parents will always love us unconditionally, and like the tree in the end, will even lay down their life for us.
A perfect gift to give to the teenage daughter who finds herself unexpectantly pregnancy or to the wayward son, who need to be reminded every so often how much we love them.
I have this on my bookshelf ready to be passed down to the next generation = make it yours!
Book Review: A CONTROVERSIAL Classic to promote family discussion
Summary: 3 Stars
There are two extreme ways to interpret this book, as shown by the multiple ratings of 1 and 5.
The first: This is a beautiful and sad story of unconditional love between a tree and a boy, in which the tree is generous and gives of itself to help the boy whenever he is in trouble. The metaphor in this case is that of a mother and a child, or God and a human.
The second: This is a story of a very selfish boy and a tree who loves him. Whenever he is in trouble, he returns to the tree who gives him another part of her self without ever setting limits, even though it makes her sad (and physically damages her) to do so. In this case, you can compare the story to a metaphor of an abusive, codependent relationship.
I can understand both views of this story, but the fact that the second interpretation is just as valid as the first makes me hesitate to recommend this book. Personally, I would NOT buy this book as a gift, or for my own children. If I had this book, I would wait to read it to my children until they reach the recommended 10 years old (or at least 8), and then I would discuss the book and its concepts (selfishness, limit setting/saying NO) with them. "What did you think of this book?" "Do you think that the tree/the boy did the right thing?" "What would you have done differently if you were the tree/the boy?" "If you were the tree, would you have said 'NO' to the boy at any point?"
A story that may be complementary to this one and more appropriate for younger audiences is "Ladies First", also by Shel Silverstein (found in "A Light in the Attic" or "Free to Be, You and Me"), which is about a girl who always gets to be first to do everything, but in the end that is not to her advantage. At least in that book the message is clear that selfishness is not OK.
If you prefer to avoid this type of discussion, you might be better off sticking to one of the MANY childrens' books that are much less controversial and intended only for entertainment.