Although this book is fairly simple in illustrations and text, its message is one that can stay with a reader forever. I think especially in today's society it is easy for people to look around and see what other people have and want that and literally forget about all the things that they have. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is a book that lets readers know that in the end it doesn't matter if you have a boat or a huge house, all that matters is that you have a good friend to lean on when you need them. Elementary school is a time in children's lives where they have the power to start making lifetime friends. It is important to let them know that friendship is a lot more valuable then anything you could possibly buy. Silverstein does a great job in showing this through the lifelong friendship of a boy and a tree.
I am truly impressed with how little detail this book has, but how great the message is that it leaves with readers. The reader never finds out the boys name through out the whole book. This amazes me because usually the name of a main character in a book is important, but not in this book, it focuses on the relationship. I think Silverstein did enough describing the boy through the things he demanded out of the tree.
Usually students think that other kids, living people and sometimes pets are their only options for friends. They often forget that nature and especially trees are living things and they can be just as good of a friend as a real person. I would read this to my class no matter what the age of the students are because I think its message is that powerful.
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