Back in the old days when I used to teach the performance of kid's lit to college students, I saw a lot of solo performances of _the Giving Tree_ So many were remarkable. It's thought-provoking to me that the performances I most recall were those that focused on ecology -- one great one had the audience taking away stuff from the tree, chopping branches, etc. Big horrific fun! And the one's that emphasized the son's obliviousness and the mom's inability to do anything but give. I think Silverstein's willingness to write a piece that we see in it what we want to see -- and in which none of the characters are necessarily seen as admirable -- makes him quite remarkable among those who work the kid's lit game. Thank you so much, Eleni, for this wonderful article!