Parents are admitting that they refuse to read a classic book to their children as the message it gives just doesn’t sit well with them.
As parents, many of us read to our children daily, and it is such a joy. We get to revisit some of our own favourite childhood stories as well as discover new tales with our little ones. But from time to time, we will come across stories that we don’t like, haven’t aged well or are just downright inappropriate.
One book has been dubbed the most ‘divisive’ children’s book, with many parents boycotting it, and you can see why.
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One of the most divisive children’s books
In a recent Reddit thread, one parent asked for the books that other parents refuse to read to their kids, and The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is one that came up over and over. It was first published in 1964, and its suitability is still debated to this day.
The book revolves around a tree that loves a boy so much, giving him everything it has, and is described as a ‘moving story’. In the story, the boy visits the tree every day to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk. The tree was happy with the relationship, but as the boy grew older, he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.
The book is aimed at toddlers and young children and is beloved by many, including Meghan Markle, who famously referenced it in her own book, The Bench.
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But it is also widely criticised by parents who feel that the tree giving all its resources to the boy gives the wrong message. ‘The Giving Tree is kinda like that for me, just never sat right with me how much the tree gave!!!’ one person said on Reddit.
‘I used to be ok with this book. Then I began acknowledging the problems in my marriage. Now, I can’t help but see that boy as selfish and never really appreciates the tree. Even at the end, he simply continues taking and taking. Whatever kind of relationship you want to attribute to the tree and the boy, it’s very one-sided,’ somebody else said and a third wrote: ‘This book is trash. I can’t believe it’s for kids. It clearly depicts a toxic/abusive relationship.’
Some relate the story to capitalism as the boy wants more and more ‘stuff’ from the tree.
Others see the relationship between the boy and the tree as a metaphor for the parent and child relationship, which is why they like the story.
But the tree gives until it has nothing left, until it is decimated to nothing but a stump. The boy just takes and takes, and the story has a one-sided view of love. A tree can be a lovely place to sit, play, read, seek shade; it can do so much besides give you physical things.
Maybe it is a metaphor for being a parent, but not the kind of parent that most want to be, it seems. You can be a great parent without decimating yourself.
