First Published: 1964; Pros: A moral story usable by kids & adults alike; Cons: None
With most of the reading of the current year books behind me, I am so glad I am getting the opportunity to treat myself to some of these classic tales – simple, heart warming and impactful. That is what The Giving Tree is.
This is a story about the selfless love and kindness of a tree. It keeps sacrificing everything it had to make the little boy happy, till it had nothing left. On one hand, from the tree’s perspective, it so beautifully depicts the virtues of selfless love, generosity and kindness. It is forever giving, so much so – even when it has nothing of value left, it still makes itself useful to the child in some way. On the other, from the human (child’s) perspective, it reflects upon the never ending desire & greed that restrains the humans from appreciating what we have. We fail to appreciate the blessings of God. We fail to appreciate nature.
This book by Shel Silverstein makes itself relevant multi dimensionally. With reference to nature, it translates into the abundant generosity that nature bestows upon us. And how we humans are repleting her resources, until one day it will have none left.
The story can well be viewed with respect to parenting. How parents keep showering everything they have for their child. And even in their twilight, their only concern is if their child – who is a grown up adult in himself now – is happy & safe. Even at that age, with their limited offering, they still try to be useful to you, to protect you, to love you. And when the tree asks the grown up boy to climb her trunk & swing on her branches, it reflects how – after a time – all that parents need is your time & love. They remember your childhood – how you used to hug them, how you used to play with them. And somewhere, they wish for that same innocence and love from you. It is thought provoking and makes you realise the value of each blessing of life.
This is a very short book, barely 35 pages or so. But it is so impactful, it will stay with you forever. I am so glad I read this. It once again reiterates the power of simplicity. A simple story that can be enjoyed by kids in a literal sense as well as a moral story that teaches an important lesson of life.
Get it on Amazon The Giving Tree