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The Giving Tree: short stories of Christmas
"The Elliott family had a Christmas tree, but it was not like any other Christmas tree on their very long street with dozens and dozens of neighbors going to and fro with shopping bags from every name brand store at the mall a block over. No, the Elliotts' tree was a very special tree. It was, as little four-year-old Gabe Elliott liked to call it, a giving tree." from BN website
13 pages, ebook
First published January 5, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 23, 2025
Belíssimos contos de Natal, nos quais a solidariedade e a caridade são temas constantes, cada conto tendo como premissa a ideia de que sempre á possível ajudar o próximo quando se tem boa vontade. Muito bom.
November 25, 2013
Pass this one up.
$2.99 for 13 pages? This review is nearly long as the book!
So, it's a story about a family who forgoes the commercialism of Christmas.
I lieu of gift shopping, the three Elliott family children write mostly angst filled, self-consumed letters to Jesus, on Christmas day. These correspondences to their savior make no great appeal for peace on Earth, or to an end to World hunger, or demonstration of kindness to the World's dispossessed; nothing like that.
Apparently each one-paragraph 'letter' to Jesus is one of the three 'stories' that the title of this book alludes to. Owing to the sparseness of character development, and despite allusions to some deeper meaning, this smacks of a bait and switch that merely exploits Christian themes; hence my complaint about $2.99 for 13 pages.
Nothing about the story is really connected to the tree other than little four-year old Gabe Elliot referring to the tree as a "Giving Tree".
I don't know who is rating this book so highly on Barnes & Noble, or why. This story doesn't say much, and because of that, I think it is just a money grab that appeals to people seeking a feel-good story or something to do with a holiday message.
If you want to read it, I'll gladly loan it to you. I ought to get rid of it, but it's taking up so little space on my nook.
Spoiler Alert: Nothing much happens, and the family sings "Happy birthday to Jesus" at the end.
Maybe this is a stretch, but the book's title is deceptive, and a deception is a lie. And "Thou shall not Lie" is one of the "big ten" right? This 'Christian' book violates one of those most sacred tenets - all the way to the bank.
Ironically, I feel like I just had my pocket picked. Imagine that; a self-proclaimed Christian who exploits commercialism by condemning it - in just 13 pages! It reminds me of Gandhi's remark about us Christians, "I like your Christ, I do not like his followers."
I won't ever take that risk again on buying anything penned by this author.
$2.99 for 13 pages? This review is nearly long as the book!
So, it's a story about a family who forgoes the commercialism of Christmas.
I lieu of gift shopping, the three Elliott family children write mostly angst filled, self-consumed letters to Jesus, on Christmas day. These correspondences to their savior make no great appeal for peace on Earth, or to an end to World hunger, or demonstration of kindness to the World's dispossessed; nothing like that.
Apparently each one-paragraph 'letter' to Jesus is one of the three 'stories' that the title of this book alludes to. Owing to the sparseness of character development, and despite allusions to some deeper meaning, this smacks of a bait and switch that merely exploits Christian themes; hence my complaint about $2.99 for 13 pages.
Nothing about the story is really connected to the tree other than little four-year old Gabe Elliot referring to the tree as a "Giving Tree".
I don't know who is rating this book so highly on Barnes & Noble, or why. This story doesn't say much, and because of that, I think it is just a money grab that appeals to people seeking a feel-good story or something to do with a holiday message.
If you want to read it, I'll gladly loan it to you. I ought to get rid of it, but it's taking up so little space on my nook.
Spoiler Alert: Nothing much happens, and the family sings "Happy birthday to Jesus" at the end.
Maybe this is a stretch, but the book's title is deceptive, and a deception is a lie. And "Thou shall not Lie" is one of the "big ten" right? This 'Christian' book violates one of those most sacred tenets - all the way to the bank.
Ironically, I feel like I just had my pocket picked. Imagine that; a self-proclaimed Christian who exploits commercialism by condemning it - in just 13 pages! It reminds me of Gandhi's remark about us Christians, "I like your Christ, I do not like his followers."
I won't ever take that risk again on buying anything penned by this author.
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