Picture Book: The Giving Tree

Image: 

Evaluation of the book:

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is a beloved picture book classic. Its pages are beautifully illustrated with simple line drawings drawn by the author himself. The simplicity of the black and white sketches sets the tone for the simplicity of the story and the beauty of the lesson(s) it contains.

The progression of drawings on each page pulls at the reader’s heartstrings. In the beginning, the little boy’s joy at playing with the tree is contagious; towards the end, the reader feels the old man’s exhaustion. Although simple, each page’s drawings tell a complete scene of the story; even if there were no words, the story would be understood simply by looking at the illustrations.

There are words, however, and they reflect the tone of the story line. For the happy childhood days of the boy, there are just a few words per page. The boy does something; the tree is happy. That’s all; all is simple. Then, when the boy grows up and things get more complicated for him, the pages begin to be filled with longer, more complicated blocks of text. However, whenever the boy does something, the tree is happy. The tree’s life is simpler than that of the man’s; Shel Silverstein reflects this by his simplicity of language when he states, “And the tree was happy” several times throughout the book.

Response:

This story’s meaning could be interpreted in so many different ways. Most often and possibly most obvious, it is interpreted as a message about taking one’s loved ones for granted and/or as an illustration of nature’s constant giving and man’s constant taking. However, I personally think it is also about the pains of growing up and how the very act of growing up changes relationships. I’ve learned that things aren’t as simple when you’re older; it’s easy to lose sight of how it used to be. I see this message clearly in The Giving Tree. The beautiful thing about The Giving Tree is that, no matter who the reader is, he or she will always find an important lesson or moral within its pages that reflect his or her own life. This book is absolutely stunning, both in words and illustrations. Each illustration and word just makes you want linger on each page and reflect on the beauty found therein.

Conclusion:

Even though the images and words are simple in The Giving Tree, the lessons found in its pages are many and eternal. Don’t take loved ones for granted. Nature gives; humans take. It’s the simple and little things that make us happiest. Growing up is hard. No matter who reads this book - child or adult - there is a simple lesson to be learned.


APA Style Reference:

Silverstein, S. (1964). The giving tree. New York, NY: HarperCollins.