Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Book, Worthwhile for Children and Adults
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Book evokes emotion in young and old
Review: I agree with a lot of the "interpretations " of this story:
but in essence, is not a good book, story, or movie one that makes you think, analyze and surmise? That moves you in a way to keep dwelling on it?
This book made me cry when I read it, and of course later you peel away the layers of the onion to compare it to human relationships: but for it do this it has to be an EXCELLENT story, whether you like the gist of the tale or not. I loved it.
Thank you Shel!
Rating:
Summary: A must for all kids to read
Review: I first got this book for my 5th birthday and it still ranks up there as one of my favourites. It tells the beautiful story of the friendship between a small boy and a tree, and continues through the boys life, through to his old age. Through the story, the boy is always complaining, and the tree, who loves the boy, is always ready to give him whatever she can. (I get teary just thinking of this book!) Eventually, the boy takes everyhthing the tree has, including her trunk, until she is just a stump, but she never complains, such is her love. Eventually the book comes full circle, and the small boy is now an old man, and it is then that he realises the value of friendship and the pleasures of the simple things in life. This book is a must for all kids to read, especially if the parents sit down and talk about it with them. It taught me about sharing (and I have three sisters!) to be greatful for what you have, and about enduring love. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The easy reading style and the beautiful simple pictures are also a delight. Buy this book today!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Giving Tree
Review: Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree is outstanding. My 3rd grade son brought this book home for reading homework. I liked it so much I bought it for him .... The story is fine for children but it is great for adults. For me this story is about how we take those who support us for granted. A boy and a tree move through life together.
Rating:
Summary: It still makes me cry
Review: The Giving Tree a "negative influence on children"?!?!?!? Baloney! This book is so sublimely beautiful that it makes me cry every time I read it. And I'm an adult! Similar in format to Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" song, The Giving Tree is the story of a young boy and his favorite tree. As the boy grows older, his need for the tree changes. Yet, the tree keeps giving (hence, the book's title), meeting every need -- however extraordinary or simple -- the ever-aging boy puts to it. The ending is perfect. Once, I read this book to a couple of little girls (5 and 6) and I choked up at the end. I seriously doubt the girls fully understood this book's deep meaning, but they loved the story nevertheless. And it'll stick with them. The Giving Tree is an extraordinary book, simple yet remarkably profound. To me, it's a very emotional story, one that resonates deeply within me. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A BEAUTIFUL STORY!
Review: This is one of those books with a powerful message. What you take that message to mean will depend on the reader's interpretation. It is about a boy "with the wants" and as the boy grows older, the "wants" increase. The tree is wise and giving but encourages the boy to do things for himself. As the boy matures, and eventually becomes an old man, there is nothing left of the tree but a stump. It is a rather sad story, to see the tree give so much of itself to the point where there is nothing left to give. The old man sits on the stump and ponders this. The book is worth its weight in gold for the message it portrays and is beautifully written.
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Summary: I understand the bad reviews, but...
Review: Yes, this book is about a selfishness and it is about excessive giving. But I wonder if those who gave it a bad review noticed that the little boy wasn't selfish--he became selfish as he grew into an adult. And yes, the tree did give and give until she was not even a tree anymore but just an old stump. Isn't there a lesson there that some are missing?? The lesson isn't that as a female figure, she HAD to give and give to be happy and to be loved; rather that giving to extreme, even for love, may leave you alone and sad (the tree was sad for most of time). In the end, the boy comes back and realizes what he's done to his beloved tree. I think he realizes his love destroyed her--and the tree does too (she says she has nothing left to give). Maybe I'm just too much of a pollyanna--but I don't believe this is an "awful" children's book. I read it to my children, and they took from the story the same thing I took from it. My daughters didn't find the story to mean they HAD to stay in bad relationships, as another reviewer said the story implied. They took from it that relationships in which the giving and receiving aren't equal lead to heartache. It's a good lesson. Thanks Shel.
Rating: 
Summary: Let kids think!
Review: Critics of this book opine that it is hardly fit for a child, with it's ambiguous tale of a tree that serves the demands of a very selfish boy. Treacle stories replete with affirmative messages and happy endings is what we normally expect for younger children. That there is no pat moral explicitly included in The Giving Tree, is to me, it's best feature. Parents needn't worry that there is no lesson to be learned--though it isn't propped up for readers--there is. With a little reasoning, children are usually able to grasp the tragedy in the tree's generosity. This is a different kind of children's book, and parents should be responsive to the reaction it stirs in their little one.
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Summary: Christ's Sacrificial love
Review: I first heard the story of The Giving Tree when I was 8 years old. It touched my heart even then, and it still touches something deep inside of me. The story is not so much about the selfish little boy growing up and taking everything the tree has to give; it is about the unconditional, sacrificial love that the tree has for the child. This is the kind of love that God has for His children...he gave everything He had to give, including His own life through his Son. No matter how selfish and ungrateful we are (like the little boy), He still loves us enough that He gave up His life for us (like the tree did for the boy).
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible Story
Review: What kind of book is this to read to your children???? What does it teach them except that being selfish is OK???? I can't believe that so many people actually enjoyed this book. I would not recommend this to anyone. It is a sad, pitiful, depressing story that only leaves the reader feeling empty!
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