The Giving Tree

FIVE STARS ! Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree is a poignant and thought-provoking picture book that explores themes of selflessness, love, and sacrifice. The story follows a tree that gives everything to a boy throughout his life, ultimately leaving itself as a stump for him to rest on. Silverstein’s simple yet powerful prose and minimalistic illustrations emphasize the emotional depth of the narrative. While some view the book as a touching tale of unconditional love, others interpret it as a critique of selfishness and exploitation. Its open-ended meaning makes it a valuable tool for discussion with children about gratitude and balance in relationships. The Giving Tree remains a timeless and deeply moving story that resonates show more across generations, encouraging reflection and empathy.



Personally, this book has impacted me, I strongly remember getting this book for Christmas one year. My mom used to always read it to my siblings and me. At a young age I was shown how to be selfless and loving, and I continue doing so. show less

I think the tree's willingness to give everything to the boy raises questions about selflessness and sacrifice. Is the tree's unconditional giving a pure expression of love, or does it suggest an unhealthy dynamic of giving without setting boundaries?

This book conveys several great messages under the guise of simplicity. On the surface, it is a lesson about loyalty and the bonds of friendship. The boy abandons the tree at times, but whenever he comes back, the tree helps the boy as if he had never been gone. On a deeper level, the meaning of the story is not as clear. The Giving Tree could be viewed as a story with insight to the relationship between man and nature; every time the boy returns, it is almost like he is home again. He is comfortable with the tree. I also see it as satirical; it points out the selfishness of men and how they take as much as they can until there is nothing left to take. Regardless of the interpretation, it is a story that can pull at the heartstrings and show more force the reader to slow down and enjoy what they have in the present. show less

There was a fantastic answer to a question on here, which answered that this story is about agape love, AKA unconditional love. Which, when I asked Wikipedia, seems to be more the conception of the love of God to his creation than a mother to her child. Which makes so much more sense to me! If this was a human relationship it would be weeeeeeird, it would be unconditional dedication, not love. No negotiations, no attempts to raise a thinking, moral human being. I think some parents like this book because it's like, "Oh yeah! I would totally do anything for my kid! Always! In any circumstance!" and it's mostly just emotionally self-flattering and actually not a good decision in real life.

Unless you're God, I guess, ha! Or like, literally show more a tree (basically), because it's really about Mother Earth, right?

and that's why hippies like this book. because the tree is abused by that kid and people shouldn't be doing shit like that. show less

A children’s tale glorifying an abusive relationship with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer

Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree” is often celebrated as a classic of children’s literature, yet, reading it now, I struggle to see the appeal. Where contemporaries in the genre – such as Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” – bring subtext, wit, and magic, Silverstein’s approach here is relentlessly didactic.

The narrative, centring on a boy’s lifelong (abusive) relationship with a perpetually self-sacrificing tree, bludgeons the reader with its message of unconditional giving to the point of tedium. “The Giving Tree” has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

The story’s moral simplicity feels not only show more outdated but, frankly, rather joyless. One leaves the tale with a sense of manipulation, not enlightenment. This might suffice for those in search of finger-wagging parables, but for those yearning for depth or nuance, there are far better options in the children’s canon.

One star out of five.

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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam show less

I must begin by saying that I love everything written by Shel Silverstein. I grew up with Where the Sidewalk Ends, and I have a great appreciation for his imagination, and his uniqueness. In this book, he tells us a story of a tree that gives and gives, until it has nothing else to give. It's sort of sad because this tree genuinely loves this boy and invites him to swing on his branches and eat his apples, and rest in his shade. However, the boy becomes a man and stops spending time with the tree. It would be an understatement to say the tree misses him. Years go by and the boy (now a man) visits the tree. The tree gets excited and tries to make the "boy" happy each time, by honoring his requests. The boy wanted money, so the tree show more suggested he sell the apples. Years later, he actually takes the branches to build a house, and eventually the tree trunk to make a boat (all with the tree's wholehearted consent). As an old man, he comes to the tree for the last time and the tree is sad because the tree wants to GIVE. The old man sits and rests on what is left of the tree, it's trunk. I felt down, like the man maybe was at the end of his life, and the tree may never see him again. Then I began to think about how the old man is happy to be with the tree, happy to be sitting on the tree stump, and he must genuinely love the tree, as much as the tree loves him. He seems to be thinking. The illustration suggests this, more than the words. Maybe he is reminiscing about his memories as a young boy playing in the shade of this tree, and eating apples. Maybe he has regrets about taking the apples, the branches, and cutting the trunk. I cannot rate this book a five, but only because I am left wanting the "boy" to tell the tree that he was selfish at times, and he wishes he could have the tree back the way it used to be, long ago. I guess I wanted the author to spell it out. I wanted the "boy" to say that it is wrong to take, take, take, while someone gives, gives, and gives! In my opinion it was too open-ended, but still a beautiful story about generosity, and selflessness. I like the way it leaves me in deep thought, every time I read it. Shel himself said that he wrote this book for all ages. I agree that a person of any age would benefit from reading this story. I would highly recommend The Giving Tree, and any of his other works, as well. show less

There are children’s books that entertain, and then there’s The Giving Tree. It's a 64-page emotional stick of dynamite disguised as a sweet nature story. I used to read this to my daughter when she was little. The first time, I thought it would be a nice bedtime story about trees, apples, childhood… you know, harmless stuff.

This book hits harder than a grad school philosophy class.

The Giving Tree is a miracle of a book: painful, generous, unsettlingly honest, and far wiser than any adult ever expects going in. If you have a heart, or once knew someone who deserved one, this story will pry it open and leave it pulsing in your hands as you weep uncontrollably at the cruelty of growing up wanting more from the world than the world show more ever promised you.

This should be mandatory reading; preferably before adulthood has a chance to ruin us show less