One of the best stories ever written on so many levels. During my niece’s communion ceremony, the priest read this story and told how the tree was like God—always loving us no matter what we do.

I am still unable to read this story to my nieces and nephews without choking up. One of my all-time favorites.

One of my favorite books… I read it a few years ago as a volunteer for story time at a local county park and even the parents sat quietly and listened.

This is a wonderful story, it always makes me cry.

This tree is a doormat. And this boy is a fool. I think it’s a study in sexism…extended to man’s rape of the natural world. Maybe if the tree had stood her ground, this boy could’ve had a tree for his own little boy to play in. It’s a tragedy, for sure. But this story seems to teach that it’s okay for a little boy to take and take and take. If a tree really loves you, it won’t mind.

Shel Silverstein was a wonderful cartoonist and writer. I have all his books, but this is the first time I’ve seen this particular animation-Thank you for sharing and for the memories.

I grew up reading Shel Silverstein and I love his poems. “The Giving Tree,” is a great story. If nothing else it show’s how much people rely on nature and what the earth gives us. The least of what it teaches is how greedy people can be about taking and not giving back.

Shel Silverstein was also a very funny writer. His poems are a hit in every American classroom. There is a Shel Siverstein special website that’s wonderful. Here is a great example of his sense of humor (in animated form) http://www.shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html