The Giving Tree

I grew up loving the book, The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein.  I suppose I thought it was a sweet story about a boy and his tree.  I had trees that I felt connected to as a child and I believed that I was linked to the boy in Silverstein's story.  So, when my new co-teacher informed me that she was not a fan of this book, I was appalled.  I couldn't believe that someone could not like The Giving Tree.  However, her reasoning was valid; it is a sad story about a tree who gives away her everything to make a greedy man happy.  Although I valued her opinion, I still wanted to read the story to my class while we studied trees this week.

As I am sitting on our rug, flipping through the pages of this story with sixteen little faces staring, I feel my cheeks start to go crimson; this story is sad.  The boy in the story was doing things to this tree that I am daily asking my students not to do.  He was disrespecting the tree; carving into its bark, cutting down its branches, and ultimately killing it.  I found myself stopping to ask the children, "Is the boy being a very good friend to the tree?" and was happy when my response was, "No!"  After reading the story, I wanted to know how my student's were affected by this tale.  Did they recognize the sadness in it?

I began with a general question, "How did this book make you feel?"  One boy raised his hand, "It makes me feel sad because the boy cuts the tree down."  Another said, "It made me happy because the tree was giving the boy gifts and making him happy."  My co-teacher used this opportunity to chime in, "What gifts do trees give to us?"  "Breathing!" one of my students quickly responded.  I began to explain to the group that trees give us oxygen, and had them all take a deep breath to experience this glorious service trees provide us with every moment.  My co-teacher told them that it's important we show our gratitude to trees.  One of my little girls quickly raised her hand, "I have a tree at my house that I love and I hug it every day before school."   Another responded, "I love my apple trees at home."  I then asked how other animals benefit from trees.  "Food!"  "Habitats!"  "Animals live in trees!"

It was then that I noticed the little boy sitting next to me had his hand up.  I called on him and he asked, "What happens if all the trees are gone?"  I stared at him for a second, completely unable to answer this profound question until I processed it.  I told him, "It is our job, and your job, to make sure that doesn't happen.  That is why we are at this school, and we learn to love and respect nature, and take care of it so that we can always enjoy it."  I don't think my answer was enough for this little boy's very big question.  I have been trying to think of a proper one all day.

I don't love The Giving Tree like I used to.  It is a very sad story.  It almost feels as if this book was not made for children; that Shel Silverstein designed it in such a way to make us think about ourselves, as adults, and our interactions with nature.  This book depicts the unrequited love the tree had for this little boy.  She gave him everything she had that made her what she was, and received nothing in return.  And, still, she was happy.  Mankind has been draining our resources and still, the earth continues to give to us.

Now, let me return to that wise little boy's question; "What happens if all the trees are gone?"