One sentence summary
The Giving Tree is a children’s picture book about the relationship between a tree and a boy over the span of many years.
Book genre
The Giving Tree is a children’s picture book.
Main topic of the book
The main topic of The Giving Tree is the special relationship between a tree and a small boy that spans many years.
Key ideas
The Giving Tree raises the following key ideas:
- Giving and Receiving: The tree symbolizes giving, and the boy receiving, various things, such as love, friendship, and material items.
- Nature and Natural Resources: We should protect our natural resources and respect nature.
- Relationships: Love and friendship span a variety of ages, and relationships are based on mutual give-and-take.
Main parts of the book and a short summary
The Giving Tree tells the story of a boy and a tree that are deeply connected in friendship. They share a bond that spans from the boy’s childhood through his adulthood. As a young boy, the protagonist joyfully plays with the tree. He climbs and swings from its branches, asking for leaves or a branch to build with. But as the boy grows older, his relationship with the tree shifts. He begins to ask less joyful things of the tree such as apples to sell and its trunk to build a boat.
The tree joyfully accepts every request, never hesitating to give whatever the boy needs. Despite sacrificing itself for the boy, it is always happy to see him. Eventually, all that’s left of the once majestic tree is a stump for the boy to sit on. One day the boy returns, now an old man, and the tree is overjoyed. She has one last thing to give him, and that is her stump, so that the old man can sit and finally rest.
Key takeaways
The Giving Tree teaches valuable lessons about giving and receiving, being thankful and respectful of the environment, and building and sustaining relationships. It highlights how love, friendship, and material items are exchanged during life’s many stages.
Author’s background and qualifications
The Giving Tree was written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein, an American poet, songwriter, and cartoonist. Silverstein was an internationally beloved children’s writer who won numerous awards for his work, including the San Francisco Poetry Award and the Edgar Allen Poe Award.
Target audience
The Giving Tree is aimed at children between the ages of four and eight.
Publisher and first publication date
The Giving Tree was first published in 1964 by HarperCollins.