"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.
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.This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return. This story is one of my favorite children's books of all time. I loved it as a child and I think I have an even greater appreciation for it today. As a teacher is there anything we can teach children that is more important than the concept of love? I once read, "Children that are loved at home come to school to learn. Children that aren't loved at home come to school to be loved". So simple, yet so very true. Although I think children of any age could benefit from reading this book, I would most likely use it in a K-2nd grade classroom to teach students that love really is the gift that keeps on giving. When you condition children at a young age on how to love, to give to those that need it, and be kind always these values are more likely stick with them later on in life. When teachers live out the messages they convey students not only hear it but see it as well.