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Shel Silverstein
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The Giving Tree Hardcover – Picture Book, January 1, 1964

by Shel Silverstein (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 33,749 ratings
#1 Best Seller in Children's Science Fiction Books
See all formats and editions
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From Shel Silverstein, New York Times bestselling author of Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic, comes a poignant picture book about love and acceptance, cherished for over fifty years. This classic is perfect for both young readers and lifelong fans.

"Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy."

So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. This moving parable for all ages offers a touching interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave. This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation.

The Giving Tree is a meaningful gift for milestone events such as graduations, birthdays, and baby showers.

Shel Silverstein's incomparable career as a bestselling children's book author and illustrator began with Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. He is also the creator of picture books including A Giraffe and a Half, Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?, The Missing Piece, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, and the perennial favorite The Giving Tree, and of classic poetry collections such as Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, Every Thing On It, Don't Bump the Glump!, and Runny Babbit plus Runny Babbit Returns.

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    2+ years, from customers
  2. Print length
    64 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    2 - 3
  5. Lexile measure
    530L
  6. Dimensions
    7.5 x 0.38 x 10 inches
  7. Publisher
    HarperCollins
  8. Publication date
    January 1, 1964
  9. ISBN-10
    0060256656
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0060256654
  11. See all details
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From the Publisher

Where the Sidewalk Ends A Light in the Attic The Giving Tree Falling Up Every Thing On It Where the Sidewalk Ends Special Edition
Where the Sidewalk Ends A Light in the Attic The Giving Tree Falling Up Every Thing On It Where the Sidewalk Ends Special Edition
Customer Reviews
4.9 out of 5 stars
11,679
4.9 out of 5 stars
6,876
4.9 out of 5 stars
33,749
4.9 out of 5 stars
5,091
4.9 out of 5 stars
2,016
4.9 out of 5 stars
8,462
Price $6.15 $11.49 $10.98 $6.59 $11.63 $10.77
The classic poetry collection that is both outrageously funny and profound. Filled with remarkable characters and hilariously profound poems. A poignant picture book about love and acceptance, perfect for both young readers and lifelong fans. A wondrous book of poems and drawings that will charm young readers. More poems packed with outrageous humor, poetic genius, and signature illustrations. This book features 12 new poems.
A Light in the Attic Special Edition The Missing Piece The Missing Piece Meets the Big O Runny Babbit Runny Babbit Returns Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?
A Light in the Attic Special Edition The Missing Piece The Missing Piece Meets the Big O Runny Babbit Runny Babbit Returns Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?
Customer Reviews
4.9 out of 5 stars
6,876
4.8 out of 5 stars
2,251
4.9 out of 5 stars
1,071
4.8 out of 5 stars
1,133
4.8 out of 5 stars
266
4.8 out of 5 stars
271
Price $13.98 $12.59 $14.39 $16.26 $16.52 $15.19
The beloved classic with 12 new poems. A fable that gently probes the nature of quest and fulfillment. An inventive, heartwarming book and companion to The Missing Piece. A hilarious book of spoonerisms – words or phrases with letters or syllables swapped. Filled with spoonerism poems that are both playful and poignant. A hilarious and loving look at the joys of having a rhinoceros as a pet.
A Giraffe and a Half Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back Don't Bump the Glump!: And Other Fantasies Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book: A Primer for Adults Only Different Dances
A Giraffe and a Half Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back Don't Bump the Glump!: And Other Fantasies Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book: A Primer for Adults Only Different Dances
Customer Reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
1,953
4.8 out of 5 stars
463
4.8 out of 5 stars
297
4.7 out of 5 stars
403
4.6 out of 5 stars
122
Price $9.99 $16.90 $12.55 $12.88 $19.39
Bursting with Shel Silverstein’s drawings and funny rhymes, this book will keep children laughing. Shel Silverstein’s first book, a whimsical tale about a lion’s quest for self-discovery. This book will leave you astonished, tickled, and entertained. Dive into this a satirical, entertaining alphabet book for adults with quirky humor and Shel’s signature black-and-white art! A look upon the social calamities and absurdities of the adult world

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

To say that this particular apple tree is a "giving tree" is an understatement. In Shel Silverstein's popular tale of few words and simple line drawings, a tree starts out as a leafy playground, shade provider, and apple bearer for a rambunctious little boy. Making the boy happy makes the tree happy, but with time it becomes more challenging for the generous tree to meet his needs. When he asks for money, she suggests that he sell her apples. When he asks for a house, she 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. She suggests that he cut her down to a stump so he can craft a boat out of her trunk. He unthinkingly does it. At this point in the story, the double-page spread shows a pathetic solitary stump, poignantly cut down to 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 her, the boy returns again as an old man, needing a quiet place to sit and rest. The stump offers up her services, and he sits on it. "And the tree was happy." While the message of this book is unclear (Take and take and take? Give and give and give? Complete self-sacrifice is good? Complete self-sacrifice is infinitely sad?), Silverstein has perhaps deliberately left the book open to interpretation. (All ages) --Karin Snelson

Review

“If you’re looking for a children’s book that teaches generosity or unselfishness, most people will point you right to The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein’s lovely story of a tree that will do anything for the boy it loves—and for good reason. This classic is always a good place to start.” — Brightly

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins; First Edition (January 1, 1964)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060256656
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060256654
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2+ years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 530L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 2 - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.38 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 33,749 ratings

About the author

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Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein

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"And now, children, your Uncle Shelby is going to tell you a story about a very strange lion- in fact, the strangest lion I have ever met." So begins Shel Silverstein's very first children's book, Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. It's funny and sad and has made readers laugh and think since it was published in 1963. It was followed the next year by three more books. The first of them, The Giving Tree, is a moving story about the love of a tree for a boy. Shel returned to humor the same year with A Giraffe and a Half, delighting readers with a most riotous ending. The third book in 1964 was Uncle Shelby's Zoo Don't Bump the Glump! and Other Fantasies, Shel's first poetry collection, and his first and only book illustrated in full color. It combined his unique imagination and bold brand of humor in this collection of silly and scary creatures. Shel's second collection of poems and drawings, Where the Sidewalk Ends, was published in 1974. His recording of the poems won him a Grammy for best Children's Album. In this collection, Shel invited children to dream and dare to imagine the impossible, from a hippopotamus sandwich to the longest nose in the world. With his next collection of poems and drawings, A Light in the Attic, published in 1981, Shel asked his readers to turn the light on in their attics, to put something silly in the world, and not to be discouraged by the Whatifs. Instead he urged readers to catch the moon or invite a dinosaur to dinner- to have fun! A Light in the Attic was the first children's book to break onto the New York Times Bestseller List, where it stayed for a record-breaking 182 weeks. The last book that was published before his death in 1999 was Falling Up (1996). Like his other books, it is filled with unforgettable characters. Shel Silverstein's legacy continued with the release of a new work,Runny Babbit, the first posthumous publication conceived and completed before his death and released in March 2005. Witty and wondrous, Runny Babbit is a poetry collection of simple spoonerismsH, which twist the tongue and tease the mind. Don't Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies was recently reissued in 2008 after being unavailable for over 30 years. Shel was always a believer in letting his work do the talking for him--few authors have ever done it better.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
33,749 global ratings
LOVE IT
5 Stars
LOVE IT
Bought for myself at the ripe old age of 41 to nurture my inner child! I loved this book as a kid and I am happy I love myself enough to gift it to myself!
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Top reviews from the United States

Beverly DeSuza
5.0 out of 5 stars Love Gives
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2024
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This children’s book has been my favorite for years! The lesson it teaches is that true, pure love gives and gives even when not reciprocated. This is such a profound character lesson for children to be exposed to at an early age. Yet the literary language used portrays this lesson easily. So well written.
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Thomas G. Bradford
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2024
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I read this book as a child, and upon seeing a reference to it in an old journal entry, I noticed I remembered it well. So I bought a copy to refresh my memory and it almost sort of made me cry at the end. When you can tell a story with so few words, with such simple visual illustrations, that gives such a moral life lesson, that the truth of it is so self evident it makes you cry, that's a special kind of accomplishment!
One person found this helpful
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Eileen Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2024
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A cute story about a boy and his friendship with a tree. It tells about this friendship from when he is very young to an old man
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Mom in Milton
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2024
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The book was in perfect new condition. It arrived early. It’s a great book. Many lessons. On the age- I bought it for my pregnant niece who is expecting my great nephew. She can read this book from now (after the shower and she get it) until who knows it’s got lessons in it that anyone at any age can benefit from. Get it!!!
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Searider94
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for All Ages!
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2024
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The book arrived on time and was packed nicely. I purchased this book for my six-year-old son and I can't wait for us to read it together.
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joann raeder
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Children's book
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024
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Needed a book for a child and this book was reccomend to me. Very good children's book. Glad I bought it.
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barb
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024
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Lesson learned! Everyone should read this book
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2024
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This was a Christmas gift for my son. He loves the book. Great condition
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Top reviews from other countries

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Gabriele barbosa
5.0 out of 5 stars nao lemos ainda
Reviewed in Brazil on February 27, 2024
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vamos ler
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Christie Peters
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Words of Wisdom
Reviewed in Canada on February 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
It only takes about 10 minutes to read and the illustrations say more than the font. A Good Reminder of why 10 minutes spent thinking about Time and how I am spending it. A childhood
favourite is even better rereading it now because it's a totally different message when I am just leaving Middle Age and entering the Rest of My Story. I was surprised to see that Shel Silverstein was on my Kindle Unlimited recommendations and the Timing was Perfect. A very good example of the importance of illustrations in literature. I Love Books and I can't wait to reread the other ebooks Silverstein has written now that I can have them on my tablet. It's great that Kindle is so good at tailoring the suggested content for Me, I would never have looked for these books on my own. No, I am Not Being Sarcastic! I am going to have to buy stuff anyway, why not have a computer, more accurate than my family members, show me the things I want.
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Nina Hopewell
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
Reviewed in Germany on April 5, 2024
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I bought this for my 2 year old daughter and even tho she's so little, she loves the book. This will last us for years, since the story is so timeless
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Neeceen
5.0 out of 5 stars Beau message
Reviewed in France on August 1, 2023
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Facile à lire même pour des débutants en anglais.
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J. Berry
2.0 out of 5 stars Tunna blad men vacker saga.
Reviewed in Sweden on January 25, 2023
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Sidorna var så tunna att vi kunde se alla teckningar från de andra sidorna. Mycket distraherande.

Annars är sagan jätte söt och skulle få 5 stjärnor!
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J. Berry
2.0 out of 5 stars Tunna blad men vacker saga.
Reviewed in Sweden on January 25, 2023
Sidorna var så tunna att vi kunde se alla teckningar från de andra sidorna. Mycket distraherande.

Annars är sagan jätte söt och skulle få 5 stjärnor!
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