Shel Silverstein
Picture and Story By: Kelli Lawson
In The
Giving Tree, a tree starts out as a leafy playground, shade
provider, and
apple bearer for a curious and wild little boy. Making the boy happy
makes the
tree happy, but in time it becomes more challenging for the generous
tree to
meet the boys needs.
When he asks for money, the tree suggests that
he
sell her
apples. When he asks for a house, the tree offers her branches for
lumber. When
the boy is old, too old and sad to play in the tree, he asks the tree
for a
boat. The tree suggests that he cut her down to a stump so he can craft
a boat
out of her trunk. He unthinkingly does it.
The tree ends up becoming
just a
stump over the years with only the heart the boy once carved into the
tree as a
child that said "M.E. + T." "And then the tree was happy... but
not really." When there's nothing left of the tree, the boy returns
again
as an old man, needing a quiet place to sit and rest. The stump offers
up her
services. This is a good story for showing relationships in the many
stages of life.
Critical Thinking Questions:
1. What would you build if you could build something from a tree trunk?
2. If you were friends with a tree what would you do with it?
 Kelli's Homepage |
 kclawson@valdosta.edu |
 Paint Lesson Plan |