the giving tree book by shel silverstein

They may not always show their love, but they do come back to you. The ultimate message for me is that the key to happiness is making your loved ones happy. Whereas before he had always talked of his wants: 'I want some money', 'I want a house', ' I want a boat', now he recognises that such things are perhaps not so important. Despite all that the tree gives him, happiness seems to allude him, although there is a sort of resigned contentment at the end. However, there seems little to suggest the boy appreciates what the tree does for him. + T.' remains on the stump until the very end of the story. He continues to come back to the tree throughout his life and it seems to be symbolic that the carved heart with 'M.E. We are told that the boy does love the tree - very much. She is happy because she is always able to give the boy just what he needs - apples to sell for money, branches to build a house, her trunk to make a boat, her stump for sitting on. but not really.' The tree fears the boy will never come back and this makes her sad.Īlthough to the reader the tree seems to sacrifice much for the boy, the tree does not look at it this way. This is when the boy makes a boat from the tree's trunk and sails away. There is only one time when the tree's happiness is questioned. She needs only two things in order to be happy - the presence of the boy and the ability to give him what he needs. The tree's love for the boy is a selfless love, and she expects nothing in return. You can also watch The Giving Tree movie spoken by Shel Silverstein, although the quality is not that great. Keep reading further for ideas of activities you can do with your child based on The Giving Tree. You can read more about this interpretation below, followed by some suggestions for how you can discuss themes from the book with your child. I favour the more positive interpretation that the tree represents unconditional parental love. Others view it as an environmental tale of man's selfish exploitation of nature. Some see it as a bleak portrayal of male chauvinism.

Many different interpretations have been proposed for this book. It clearly shows the stark contrast between selfishness and selflessness. But if you do want to dig deeper, The Giving Tree offers opportunities to talk to your child about love, self-sacrifice, greed, and happiness. I have read it to my boys many times with very little discussion about what it all could mean.

You can, of course, just enjoy The Giving Tree without over-analysing it. However, as you dig deeper you discover many complex themes woven into the text. On the one hand it is a simple story about the enduring friendship between a boy and a tree. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is one of the most popular classic children's picture books ever written.

The giving tree book by shel silverstein