The Giving Tree is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. First published in 1964 by Harper & Row, it has become one of Silverstein's best known titles and has been translated into numerous languages.
Despite the recognition that the book has received, it has been described as "one of the most divisive books in children’s literature."[1] The controversy concerns whether the relationship between the main characters (a boy and a tree) should be interpreted as positive (e.g., the tree gives the boy selfless love) or as negative (e.g., the boy and the tree have an abusive relationship).[2][3][4] Scholastic designates the interest level of this book to range from kindergarten to second grade.[5]
The book follows the life of a female apple tree and a boy who are able to communicate with each other; the tree addresses the human as "Boy" his entire life. In his childhood, the boy enjoys playing with the tree, climbing her trunk, swinging from her branches, and eating her apples. However, as time passes he starts to exploit the tree.
After entering adolescence, the boy wants money, and the tree suggests that he pick and sell her apples, which he does. After reaching adulthood, the boy wants a house, and the tree suggests he cut her branches to build a house. After reaching middle age, the boy wants a boat, and the tree allows him to cut her trunk to make a boat, leaving only a stump. Each such stage of giving by the tree ends with the sentence "And the tree was happy."
In the final pages, the boy (now an old man) meets the tree once more. The tree sadly states she has nothing left to give, as her apples, branches, and trunk are gone and only a stump remains. But the boy wants only "a quiet place to sit and rest," which the stump can provide. This final stage of giving, and the entire story, end with the sentence "And the tree was happy."
'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. Ages 10+
