Product Description

This story of a boy who grows to manhood and of a tree that gives him her bounty through the years, is a moving parable about the gift of giving and capacity to love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6606 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

From the Author
Forever with me
This book was given to me by my Aunt Barbara who, without a doubt has never given me anything worth while until this gift. When I was younger I read this book and cried - now i am 23 years old and every time I read it, I cry- this book is the most amazing book ever written in my opinion - but don't take my word for it read it yourself.

Customer Reviews

A perfect little book
2 days ago, on the recommendation of someone whose judgment i respect and whose favourite book this is, i started to read The Giving Tree. "Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy". A few minutes later i was wiping away a tear, and reeling from an unexpected welter of feelings. It is profound, wise, beautiful and moving. It's simple but its heart and its scope are enormous. In barely 600 words and a couple of dozen illustrations, with a quiet serenity that puts to shame much of the "great" and famous literature, it suggests the important things in life and a whole range of themes- parenting, childhood, joy, time, aging, absence, self-sacrifice, selfishness, loss, consolation, materialism, nature's gifts and, above all, unconditional love. Some have said it's too sad for children and too simple for grown ups. For this 42 year old it's the loveliest discovery, and quite perfect.

The gift of giving
This really is a near perfect book. The life stories of a tree and a boy are beautifully interwoven. Joyful and poignant without being overly moralistic, I'm not certain that the book really is sad but it is certainly moving.

Adult Appreciation For a children's book
For anyone who thinks that this book is depressing, or portrays a terrible message of greediness for children reading it, think again. Don't think of the boy, but of the unconditional love that the tree gives him. I can only hope that every child or adult who reads this book can relate to the love that is shown.