The Reading Nook: The Giving Tree
The Giving Tree can be found in the Duplin County library system. If your local branch doesn’t have it, give them a few days and they can usually locate it for you!
Hello, and welcome back to “The Reading Nook” where the focus is using great stories to create special moments between caregivers and the young children they love!
This week’s story is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Written with simple and straightforward language, it’s one children and adults will love for a lifetime. It’s a book for people who love boys, for people who love trees. but mostly and quite simply, for people who just love.
Photo provided by Tammie Blackburn - The Reading Nook
A boy and a tree. Simple enough story line, but don’t miss the most important word…“GIVING.” When a boy and a tree become best friends, everything is good in their world. But trees change, and people change, and circumstances change. What a great story to help children realize that true friends may go through different seasons, but they stick around and never stop giving.
BEFORE YOUR READ: Have your child notice the front cover and tell you what they think is happening. Tell them the title and talk about what it may mean to be a Giving Tree.
WHILE YOU READ: Have your child notice the black and white illustrations as you’re reading. Pay attention to the changes in the boy as he grows up and make sure your child understands that it’s the same character even though he gets much older. There are some good prediction points as you may guess what the boy could ask of the tree each time that he comes back. When the book says, “And the tree was happy. But not really,” ask your child why they think the tree wasn’t really happy this time.
AFTER YOU READ:
Photo provided by Tammie Blackburn - The Reading Nook
When reading this book, I always like to ask children which of the two characters – the boy or the tree – is the better friend, and why they think so. It can lead to great discussions of loyalty and friendship and love and giving.
Talk about the items the tree gave the boy and then talk about things we can give to people we love. Have your child think of a specific friend or family member. Help them make a list of things they could give that person – it could be material items or acts of kindness. Then make your child’s own Giving Tree. Use construction paper if you have it (white paper colored with markers will work, too) and cut out a trunk, a tree top, and some apples. On each apple have your child write one of the items from the list they made. Then they can keep the tree to remind them of things they’ll do for this person or actually give it to the person as a gift if they choose.
The Giving Tree’s first gift was apples. With fall just around the corner and apple harvesting time upon us, it’s a great time try out some apple recipes. One of the easiest is homemade applesauce. Using about 8-10 apples, peel them and cut into chunks. Add a couple tablespoons butter, about ½ cup sugar (more or less depending on how sweet the apples are), and a little cinnamon to taste. Cook the apples until they’re soft and then mash them to a consistency you’re happy with. For more child-friendly recipes, click here: https://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/apple-recipes.html
As well as doing cooking activities with apples, another fun and easy activity is doing a little taste test. Grab a few different varieties of apples at the grocery store, cut them up, and let your family members all give them a try. You can even make a graph of which one(s) were the favorites!
To learn more about apples, you may want to read these titles, also found in our Duplin County library system:
Photo provided by Tammie Blackburn - The Reading Nook
And that wraps up the reading and exploring of what many (myself included) would call one of the best books ever written, … for children AND for adults!
Happy reading, and, from Emilie Buchwald, always remember, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” See you next week with another great book!
