Author:Shel Silverstein
As recommended by Meghan Markle as the one book she can't wait to share with her child - the timeless fable about the gift of love
Once there was a little tree ... and she loved a little boy.
So begins the classic bestseller, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.
Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk ... and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.
This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.
A genius ... his is an enduring influence
—— The TimesResonates beyond words
—— GuardianWry, humorous ... his poems share the same anarchic spirit as Spike Milligan
—— IndependentThat rare adult who can still think like a child
—— The New York TimesA humorous and tender family story with special parent appeal.
—— Angela Redfern , School Library AssociationA fun picture book with bold, bright illustrations that are truly engaging for young and old.
—— Jayne Howarth , Carousel ReviewsThis has the little wolf being good and trying very hard to be bad but just can't do it! He tries to convert the bad wolf! Does he succeed? Let your child decide
—— Families Magazine'Startling and provocative - guaranteed to help young readers see events in a different way from the cultural and historical norm with which they have grown up... Blackman is known for her tightly plotted, fast moving fiction... with its powerful theme of racial injustice, Noughts & Crosses engages the reader at a greater depth and in a more demanding way than any of Blackman's previous work. I read it in one sitting, reluctant to put it down, and so, I'm sure, will many young readers'
—— Books For Keeps'A book which will linger in the mind long after it has been read and which will challenge children to think again and again about the cliches and stereotypes with which they are presented.... a novel that will challenge and engage people from l3 up'
—— Observer"A stimulating and provocative plot line that often leaves the reader chilled to the bone... Noughts and Crosses is written with the passion of an author who has a personal, chilling vision of the past, present and future. Blackman cuts to the bone, turning the preconceived ideas of racial prejudice upside down, ensuring tht her point is well and truly made in a deeply disturbing and totally absorbing novel with a shocking climax that packs an unforgettable punch."
—— Susan Harrison , Amazon.co.uk'A gritty read for older children... A times this is a beautiful love story; at other times it is a harrowing and moral tale. Narrating believably through the voices of two teenagers, Malorie Blackman has written an incredible novel that is as heart-rending as it is provocative. I had to read it all in one sitting, and I challenge any reader not to do the same'
—— Nic Knight , Bookseller'Juggles a flawlessly paced thriller involving terrorist kidnapping and the Romeo and Juliet romance between a politician's daughter (a 'Cross') and a poor white boy (a 'Nought')'
—— The Times'...a bruising tome and her most ambitious novel to date. An author who has worked hard not to be identified too closely with any particular genre, she has built a complex and challenging novel around an alternative version of apartheid.'
'A sad, bleak, brutal novel that promotes empathy and understanding of the history of civil rights as it inverts truths about racial injustice. It shows the destructive and dehumanising effect of constant denigration and abuse, and the desperation it gives rise to. It demonstrates, too, that in a divided society, both sides are guilty of perpetuating hatred and hurting each other. But this is also a novel about love, and inspires the reader to wish for a world that is not divided by colour or class'
—— The Sunday TimesThese books grip you from start to finish, so much so that I completed the first title in one sitting... The way theviewpoints are juggled between the main characters development, and helps build suspense. A rollercoaster ride of emotions, this is a thrilling read- five stars!
—— Ella Holden- 13 , g2