The Giving Tree is a mystifying story of a boy who asks a loving tree to give him everything, still has academics, religious scholars, parents, and activists scratching their heads.. The Story of the Giving Tree But time went by. The Giving Tree Book Summary and Study Guide. Analysis Of Shel Silverstein 's ' The Giving Tree ' - Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree” written in the 1960’s, is a short illustrated story that is cherished dearly by children and admired by adults (Kimmel 1). The Giving Tree study guide contains a biography of Shel Silverstein, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Analysis of Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree” Shel Silverstein, a man of many talents, wrote and illustrated the poem “The Giving Tree,” one of his most well-known works in a children’s picture book in 1964. The Giving Tree will rip your heart out in 621 words. As we age, we can come back to the book and gain different insights. And the tree was often alone. As the boy grows older, he no longer comes to play in the tree’s shade. Instead, he comes and asks the tree to give him things that he wants. When my friend asked me about the book’s lesson, the answer seemed glaringly obvious to me. "I am too big to climb and play" said the boy. The Giving Tree is an American children's picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein.First published in 1964 by Harper & Row, it has become one of Silverstein’s best-known titles, and has been translated into numerous languages. And that, dear Shmoopers, stirs up all kinds of issues around gender. Everyday, throughout his childhood, he would come and visit the tree. And the boy grew older. “The Giving Tree” is in part a disturbing tale of unconditional love, in part a tender tale of the monsters that we are.  Analysis The Giving is a poem about happiness, sadness, love, giving, and receiving. And the tree was happy. Reading this book again now, I identify with some of the different life stages that I have The Giving Tree is a story about a very special tree who loves a boy more than anything else in the world. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein Animated Children's Books is a channel dedicated to bringing everyone's favorite books as a kid to life! The boy in the story always wants and always takes and as a result is never happy or contented. Pure and utter genius, this one is. This slight, leaf-green volume has since become the perfect baby gift, a library mainstay, and a classroom cornerstone, because it teaches—most outwardly—the wonderful lesson of generosity. Study Guide for The Giving Tree. He always comes back to the giving tree in search of happiness. Summary ! Interpretations of The Giving Tree. When the boy is young, the tree gives the boy her branches to play on and her trunk to climb. Every day the boy climbs the tree, eats the tree's apples, and sleeps in the tree's shade, and both the boy and the tree are happy with this arrangement. Fifty years (I repeat: a half century!) Shel Silverstein in the short story called The Giving Tree portrays happiness as being when we give and have the capacity to give. The story starts with a boy and his BFF, who just happens to be a tree. In The Giving Tree, the main character is, well, a tree.But Shel Silverstein decides to refer to the tree with feminine pronouns: she, her, hers. And the tree was happy. The tree represents a mom and the boy her son and just like most other moms, she would do anything for her son to be happy. We all know and love Shel Silverstein for his whimsical poems, but The Giving Tree is both one of the saddest and most hopeful stories ever told. And the boy loved the tree…..Very much..And the tree was happy.