The Giving Tree
by Shel Silverstein
|
List Price: Our Price: $7.97 You Save: $9.02 (53%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.24 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Giving Tree
Book Review: A negative book with multiple POSITIVE lessons!
Summary: 5 Stars
No, it's not Disney. I think this book has a lot of value. Yes, it does have ADULT THEMES, but that's why I like it: ADULT THEMES FOR CHILDREN. These same themes will come over and over again in your child's life both IN CHILDHOOD and ongoing throughout life. This is certainly not my choice for baby's bedtime story, but I think this book could be read to a 5 year-old and older. If you are intelligent in your use of this book, there is much discussion that you could and should INITIATE about loving and caring about others, not hurting others but putting others first, treating others with kindness and respect, not taking things for granted, how to respond to those who abuse us, love, loneliness, loss, etc.
IF you are not capable of putting this discussion of complicated relations to the level your child will relate to, the book WILL NOT do it for you. I think you could read it to a 5 year-old and then reread it PERIODICALLY as the child gets older and has further ability to understand relationships. I would advise parental discretion: consider the age/maturity of the child and for goodness sake, don't read it every night! Consider that the boy and the tree are NOT having the healthiest of relationships. If your child identifies too much with either the boy or the tree, oh!!! ...Forward years later on the psychoanalyst's couch: "I just don't know why I chase after abusive men. Oh, and at night, I have nightmares that I'm not a real person but instead, I'm sometimes a tree and often a doormat! Why do I feel this way?" ;-) ...
...This book could be used as a springboard to healthy discussions, but the book material itself is NOT something I'd think to replay NIGHTLY in the mind of a child--especially a 2 year-old who can't even begin to put the material into perspective.
This is a great book to use to help you come full circle in your discussions to your children about relationships. Ask your children how they would feel if they were the tree? The boy? How should you act when you care about others? What happens when you want or need someone later and they are no longer there for you because of what you've done? Should you expect someone to stay around if you abuse them? How should you respond if you are friends with someone who is abusing you? If you are not prepared to address these things with your child, you probably should skip over this book. This book could be read at various times throughout childhood. Eventually, most in their late teens/early adulthood will date some dumb jerk and suffer a broken heart. :-( Bring out this book again. They will see who had what role in the relationship and remember the many discussions you had (should have had) about proper handling of relationships--any relationships from friendships to dating relationships to marriage relationships. These prior discussions could be VERY preventive as well.
Book Review: An Excellent Book, Worthwhile for Children and Adults
Summary: 5 Stars
I can remember very distinctly when my grandmother first read me "The Giving Tree," and for nearly a decade afterwards, I, and then my younger sister, would ask to have it read everytime we went in to visit her. Now, almost fifteen years later, I find myself a freshman at Harvard, staring at the books that I find the most significant, fitted snugly between two bookends on my desk. Nestled in between "The Complete Works of Shakespeare" and the rightmost statuette of one of the lions from the New York Public Library rests my grandmother's worn copy of "The Giving Tree," given to me as a going away present.The story is incomparable. It is a tale of unquestioning love and devotion with agapic roots tracing back to the new testament and to ancient Greece. The ideal of sacrifice is ubiquitously honored among the worlds religions: Bhadisatvas sacrifice enlightenment to lead others to Nirvana, Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son to God, Jesus sacrificed himself for mankind, Jihad is a sacrifice of self for Allah. The tree is entirely self-sacrificial, and thus noble. The boy, by comparison, is no more selfish than any ordinary person, and he is himself ennobled by an innocence that he carries with him throughout the story. He never thinks of the tree, which can be taken to mean "he thinks only of himself," or, "even as a middle aged man, he is too innocent to understand the suffering of others." In reality, however, these are not different interpretations. His innocence leads him to think only of himself, because he is not quite able to understand others. But that is human nature: man is not capable of truly understanding the suffering of another person. It is only the tree, who through her devotion to the little boy, is able to appreciate his suffering. By loving the boy, she is able to overcome her own suffering and understand that of the boy. In the end, the boy returns, and sits on her stump. This simple act of togetherness more than compensates the tree for all she has given.
"The Giving Tree" is a charming story of human innocence, and agapic love. Certainly idealistic, it is possibly the most beautiful example of the romantic tragedy. I can imagine nothing nobler than to give of myself as fully and as selflessly as the tree gives of herself in this book. Moreover, I believe that anyone who reads this book can see him or herself in the character of the boy, and will find someone in his or her life who plays the role of the tree. The simplicity and wide accessibility of this story strengthens it, and makes the reader appreciate his or her own giving trees. When my grandmother used to finish reading the story, I would always feel a pressing need to thank her, less for having spent fifteen minutes with me on her lap, than simply for loving me.
Book Review: How Not to Get It
Summary: 5 Stars
A response to a general theme of disparaging reviews.
I first read The Giving Tree as an eight- or nine-year-old. I was an above average reader for my age, by no means a prodigy. Yet I like to think I took away what the author intended. Or at least what the author intended for a child to take.
I remember it well. I found the book impacting. It left me vaguely sad and bothered. Not depressed. Not traumatized or in need of a child psychologist. But troubled enough to think. (What a trick to play on a child.)
Agreed, in The Giving Tree, the tree gives too much to serve the needs of the human. But the reader is led to be touched by the tree's loss. You can't help but feel sympathy for the tree, an emotional perspective the author deftly cultivates. And through such feelings, the lessons reveal themselves.
Thematically speaking, as a child I reflected (at my language level at the time), "This person isn't considering the tree's well-being at all. By accepting everything the tree can give, he's depriving the tree of everything it has. Yet the tree feels good about it. The lessons of the tree: it's good to give. And if the tree is happier giving everything, then certainly I can give more without feeling I'm giving too much. The lessons of the man: be careful with others' generosity. Don't take advantage of their desire to help. It can have hurtful consequences, made so apparent by how much the tree is adversely affected." Agreed, there are other levels of irony in this story. But they need not detract from the tale's benefits for a child, based on themes children can detect.
A humble suggestion: don't assume children are so simple. With a story, children can understand characters' behavior not merely as direct example. In this case, for example, young readers aren't led to perceive either the man or the tree as models of ideal behavior. Especially so for the man, as the telling isn't sympathetic to his actions. The story is told from the perspective of the tree, and its loss is clear.
Consider, even many reviewers who rail against the book for its supposed examples also complain that their children were sad after reading it. But doesn't that indicate an understanding that the man's excessive taking, and the tree's overeager generosity, weren't good behavior? The results are precisely what's a little saddening about the book. In other words, your child *gets it*.
The Giving Tree is a tale of uncommon benevolence and wisdom, written and illustrated with artful emotional subtlety. More than most among books for all ages, a story that reaches the head through the heart.
Book Review: For bright people only
Summary: 5 Stars
Like most of the reviewers here, I read this book as a young child. I remember it was not like any other children's book I had ever read. I remember not liking the boy as he grew older and not wanting to be like him when I grew up, but I also remember wondering why the tree gave so much for nothing in return. I had questions and I asked them.Reading some of the reviews in here I am astonished at the degree and depth of ignorance some parents, including those describing themselves as educators, have with the themes in this book.
Here is a sampling of the conclusions:
"A cautionary tale about the human impact on the environment" -
Certainly one can draw a conclusion about the effect man has on the environment but to leave it at that is to miss the vast majority of the themes in the book. Or:
"it rationalizes and supports battered women staying with their scumbag abusers" -
The battered woman theme is so contrived that it could only be brought up by people who have nothing else on their minds but battered women. Give an inkblot to a battered woman and she sees a battered woman. Even:
"As a child, this was one of my favorite books. As an enlightened adult, it's a disturbing look at relationships"
This is a sad and ironic statement which strangely hints at the life of the person in the book! To the person that made this review: as a child you could "see"; as an adult you will make it what you want it to be. You are not enlightened; you were smarter as a child. Relationships!? Stop reading People magazine. The tree is not a symbol of people it is a symbol of bigger themes like life, unconditional love, self-awareness and introspection, even God - but relationships? Turn off your TV.
"a theme neither concrete nor relevant to young children's experiences"
"Beyond a young child's grasp"
To the one that wrote that comment, children old enough to read are old enough to understand the major themes. You must have trouble with the themes yourself and so you automatically assume others, and especially children, will too. Give your kids some credit; they are smarter than you think. Relevant!? What are you teaching your kids? Here's some advice for you: turn off the Family Channel - our world has enough conniving manipulation and prejudice for your kids to add to the mess as adults.
Sure, I'll get a lot of "no" marks for this review. But that's OK because, you see, most of the more intelligent reviews for this book are also given poor feedback. I'll be in good company.
Book Review: The Giving Tree-not just for children.
Summary: 5 Stars
While out and about on a Friday evening, I run into an acquaintance, we begin chatting about books. I mention Leil Lowndes and her books, he mentions Shel Silverstein, and his books.
The Giving Tree becomes the spotlight of our conversation. Never heard of it. My conversation partner (who happens to be 33-ish) for the evening was so impressed by this book that he went on to encourage me to buy it the next day.
Saturday morning, having this book on my mind, I drag myself (yes, after a long Friday night-literally drag-okay, crawl) into the nearest Barnes & Noble. Entering the children's section, I make my way to the Picture Book area and retrieve the book. Surprised by how small the book is, I decide to plop myself down at one of the child's tables (no pain, I'm only 4'11, and could fit easily) and read it.
Easy reading, which is a good thing with my short attention span, and it took no time at all. After flipping the first few pages, I began to feel teary-eyed and looked around to make sure no one saw this 27-year-old sitting in the children's area crying over a book (oh, wait-I wouldn't care anyway, but I didn't want to scare the small children-or their hot dads).
This book ripped my heart out and I had to read it again. My children are going to read this (several times) now in their young ages (4, 8, & 9) and as they mature.
The Giving Tree should not be limited to children, I know a few "grown-ups" I plan on sending this book to. What a wake up call for selfishness. I, too, was unknowingly practicing a bit of Ayn Rand's individualism. What if we all loved, were selfless and sacrificed our petty wants for the happiness & well-being of others? Ummm, yeah, relationships wouldn't be crashing and burning at such a monumental rate and we'd actually be a part of what truly makes (true) love--love; the unconditional kind.
Long story, (sorry, guys, it's a habit) short--The Giving Tree is an undemanding book about: unconditional love, narcissism (I think I dated the boy in this book), edacity for your own wants-apathy for the cost of the person giving, the price of selfishness, true selflessness & of loving someone until the end. We all should learn to be a Giving Tree. Go read it & cry-no one's watching.