Green Story Circle: The Giving Tree

December’s Book:  The Giving Tree (1964) by Shel Silverstein
December’s Activity: Making our own “Giving Tree” for the classroom, with leafs decorated to show the special gifts we all have to give to each other (the kind that don’t come from stores).
Here’s How it Went:
Ok, here’s where I admit to you that until this past week, I had never read my son this book because (a) it confuses me a little and (b) it makes me feel kind of sad.  So, after telling him my plan for Green Story day, you can imagine my surprise at Loki’s nonchalant response:  Oh yeah, that’s the story where the little boy takes everything from the tree until there’s nothing left but an old stump.  It’s about how when you get older, you keep needing new stuff.

The Giving Tree Loki’s class made (c)Jessie Sitnick

Now, the whole purpose of me choosing this story was to find a way to talk to my kids about how giving is about more than “stuff” – especially during a time of year where every message in the universe seems wholly focused on telling us to buy things.  So I tried to steer the conversation…
Me: But what do you think the boy needed most of all from the tree?
Loki: The stump. Because he just wanted to sit down.
Me: [Seeing a window of opportunity!] Right, the tree gave him comfort when he needed it most.  Is that something you think you could give to someone, if they needed it?
Loki: I guess so.  If I cut off my leg, I guess I would have a stump for someone to sit on.

I’m not joking.  That is exactly what he said.  What am I supposed to do with that? It was Gerald Butts, WWF’s CEO, who helped me figure it out.  Gerald’s kids are just a little older than mine and he told me he’s read them this book a million times.  So, how do you explain it to them? I asked him, kind of desperately.  He said:
For me it’s really about our connection to the natural world. As we get older, we get distracted by “stuff”—things we don’t really need, that don’t really matter.  This book is about cutting through that and finding not just usefulness but real value. And where do we find that? In our relationships, in nature.
With that in the back of my head, I was able to lead the class through the story and through one of the most beautiful conversations I could possibly imagine having with a room full of children.  We talked about what friendship means and also where it comes from.  Can you buy friendship at a store? I asked.  No, said the little girl sitting closest to me. You get it from your heart.


After the story, each child in the class decorated a leaf or two for the classroom’s “giving tree” with words like “love” and pictures of friends.  They dedicated leafs to each other or to a mom or dad.  I hope, as the holiday spirit swoops in, this little paper giving tree is a quiet reminder that the best gifts we have to give come from within.
January’s Book: What? That’s a whole YEAR away!  I’m not that organized…but maybe you are?  Good ideas for the New Year…please pass them along.  You have all been super-helpful so far! Thank you.