The Money Tree

by Sarah Stewart, David Small (Illustrator)

Miss McGillicuddy's simple country routine continues through-out the year in spite of a very unusual tree growing in her yard.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Money, Short Stories, Classics

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Wife of famed illustrator, David Small, Sarah Stewart has written a number of children's books. She grew up in Texas, and lives in Michigan with her husband.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/sarahs...

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan]

It’s official: I am in love with this wife-husband author-illustrator team. This is the fifth book by them that I’ve read. I particularly adore Small’s illustrations.

I wasn’t sure I’d like this one; the premise seemed weird and the story a tad too message heavy, but I really enjoyed it.

I was enchanted by all the pictures, in particular those of the dogs, cats, and birds, but all of them really. The autumn leaves on the inside cover pages are gorgeous.

The story goes from January to December, one month on every double page. Miss McGillicuddy discovers a rapidly growing tree in her yard. Her priorities and others’ are not the same, and there is a message here about money not being the source of one’s main happiness.

I smiled at the end, yet I also felt sad and wished for a slightly different conclusion, but I’m not sure what exactly what I’d have done instead. It worked out okay for me. It’s a lovely story with wonderful illustrations.

[Dolly]

I really enjoyed this book! It depicts a woman who lives in the country and quietly goes about her chores: planting a garden, caring for her pets, making a quilt, reading a book, etc. All the while, a money tree sprouts up in her yard and people go nuts trying to harvest the leaves.

It is a simple story and tells about a woman unimpressed with material wealth, but comforted by a warm fire on a winter's night. It speaks of a simpler life, one that is not defined by dollars, but by the quality and joy with which you live it. I think we all can take something from this.

[Luisa Knight]

If only poor, oblivious Miss McGillicudy knew. Haha.

Ages: 4 - 8

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!

Visit my website!

[Aneesa]

Not even the cute animals could make my kid interested in this book.

[Carolina]

This book encapsulates my ideal reclusive, rural, self-sufficient life, complete with three dogs and a working fireplace. A cozy book, but with a faintly distressing central theme come at from the side. What you get is not a lesson in morality but an open-ended question. I like a writer who trusts a reader that way. And, as always, David Small's artwork has a way of somehow capturing essence in posture and look. Simple, wonderful.

[Jen]

Greed. It gets all of us, sometime.

My favorite picture in this book is when autumn comes and finds Miss M carving a pumpkin. She stands and watches people at the foot of the money tree, knife clasped behind her back. Perfection.

[Terri Shown]

I wanted to love this book. The illustrations are charming and the premise is interesting but I feel like the book lacked an adequate ending or something. I thought it would be more heart warming but at the end I remembering feeling the book fell a little flat. The main character obviously isn’t concerned about money but I felt the message of the book missed a mark a bit. It is saved however by the stunning illustrations.

[Amanda]

I used this as the first book in the Sarah Stewart author study with 2nd grade. I used the kit with the CD, which was nice because it has the background noises and everything. One of the kids said it was kind of like watching a movie. The idea of a "money tree" was fascinating to the kids, as well. I took the activity idea from Patte---I had the kids draw what they think a money tree would look like and then on the back write what they would do if a money tree grew in their yard.

[Heather]

29 months - not our most favorite story by this author/illustrator duo. The illustrations were as always beautiful and the dogs and cats reminded us of our past and present friends. O is a bit young to understand the story she asked me what money was, oh to be two again. So more than likely this story will spark some interesting discussions as she gets older.

[Emily]

A fun idea for a book. I thought it was a tad preachy, but still fascinating.

The kids were listening to this on-tape in the next room, and Matt and I were drawn several times over to them to check out the illustrations that could accompany such mind-sparking text.

[Marianna]

At the end my children were both "Is she crazy?" The events of this book lead to a very interesting discussion about just why Miss McGillicuddy may have taken the actions she did.

The book also has lovely illustrations.

[Cheryl]

I must be missing something. I mean, ok, yes, greed is not only bad but embarrassing, and self-sufficiency and hard work are good. But the mc looks so very sad in all the pictures. Her animal companions are adorable, though!

[Paula]

The concept of going through each month from January to December was ok, but storyline about the mysterious tree was lacking.

[Hailey White]

While the ending surprised me....and I'm not certain still if I liked it or not, the illustrations captivated my children and myself.

[Danette]

I enjoyed the illustrations and watching the passing of the seasons in Miss McGillicuddy's garden. I didn't really understand the ending.
Read with Naomi & Arielle.

[Annie]

A story about what is most important in life, and the joys of being happy and content with your life.

[Lara]

I... I don't get it. What was the point?

Miss McGillicuddy has a strange tree growing in her yard that attracts a lot of attention, but overall doesn't affect her quiet routines throughout the year. I mean, yes, I understand the lesson that her routines and year still pass well and contentedly despite the amazing thing growing in her yard, but it just felt so flat. Like, nothing to wrap things together, nothing to bring close the story out satisfactorily. Too subtle a picture book message for me, I suppose.

As for the illustrations, I liked the countryside, I liked the animals and flowers and natural details. I was not a fan of the people and facial expressions. And maybe it's just my other pop culture interests, but the Money Tree itself was kinda creepy.

[Colin]

A beautifully illustrated picture book about a woman who lives in a rural farmhouse with her animals. It goes month by month - in January she notices something in the yard, in February she realizes its a tree growing, in spring when it grows leaves she realizes that the leaves are American money, in summer and fall people come to ask for the leaves and later to just take them, and in later fall the leaves wither and die - and in December she cuts down the tree. Oddly enough, I used it for a Latin lesson with my children, too - they just learned months of the year in Latin, and they know a lot of the vocabulary used in this book, so we read it again, converting bits of it to Latin. That was fun!

[Lynn Davidson]

Miss McGillicuddy notices a strange shape in her yard in January. Each month through the year she notices something different about the unusual tree. As the story moves along everyone around seems to know it is a money tree except for Miss McGillicuddy. To her it is a tiring oddity that has strangers in her yard day and night harvesting the tree.
The story and its ending puzzle me, but it is fabulously written and superbly illustrated. Beautiful.

[Audrey Mason]

Grade Level: Kindergarten+ | Genre: Modern Fantasy
Whilst this book is absolutely beautifully illustrated, I find that The Money Tree doesn't have quite a lot to offer other than that. The book does offer a small message, that people can be greedy and take things for granted, but other than that, I feel the book falls a little flat.

[Melissa Namba]

Miss McGillicuddy has the patience of a saint. She is blessed with a tree that has foliage that looks like money. More and more people help themselves to the fruits and trees. She does not complain all through that, nor when the tree is no longer.

[Judith]

I love the message of this book, there's more to life than money. But will kids get it? What about the ending, why does she smile?

[Karen]

Read this book to the kids when they were younger and have always been on the lookout for it at thrift stores or garage sales. It's a keeper..krb 3/10/19

[K]

Other reviewers are saying this book was 'message heavy.' What message? I didn't get it.

[Alexandra]

What beautiful illustrations!

[SandraJane]

Great children's book. Really love the books that have subtle themes teaching morals and ethics.

[Audrey]

Miss McGillicuddy has an unusual tree growing in her yard. It attracts the neighbors but it doesn't really effect Miss McGillicuddy has she goes on with her life through it's changing seasons.

[Misa]

I loved the illustrations of this book so much. The story is also good, it is about how people got crazy over money and become completely blind to the beauty of a simple life and nature.

[Sarah Keizer]

This book has Sarah Stewart (figuratively) written all over it. A great reminder to cherish the important things in life.

[Sarah]

Paints a wonderful picture of contentment in the simple life. The illustrations are beautiful!