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The More You Give
A modern-day response to The Giving Tree, this lyrical picturebook shows how a family passes down love from generation to generation, leaving a legacy of growing both trees and community.
Once there was a wide-open field, and a boy who loved his grandmother,
who loved him back.
The boy’s grandmother gives him many gifts, like hugs, and Sunday morning pancakes, and acorns with wild and woolly caps. And all her wisdom about how things grow. As the boy becomes a father, he gives his daughter bedtime stories his grandmother told him, and piggyback rides. He gives her acorns, and the wisdom he learned about how things grow. His daughter continues the chain, then passing down gifts of her own. Here is a picture book about the legacy of love that comes when we nurture living things—be they people or trees.
Once there was a wide-open field, and a boy who loved his grandmother,
who loved him back.
The boy’s grandmother gives him many gifts, like hugs, and Sunday morning pancakes, and acorns with wild and woolly caps. And all her wisdom about how things grow. As the boy becomes a father, he gives his daughter bedtime stories his grandmother told him, and piggyback rides. He gives her acorns, and the wisdom he learned about how things grow. His daughter continues the chain, then passing down gifts of her own. Here is a picture book about the legacy of love that comes when we nurture living things—be they people or trees.
48 pages, Library Binding
Published August 2, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
January 19, 2023
A lovely story about passing love and traditions through the generations of a family. A burgeoning forest serves as a metaphor for an ever expanding family tree.
(Another project! I'm trying to read all the picture books and graphic novels on the kids section of NPR's Books We Love 2022.)
(Another project! I'm trying to read all the picture books and graphic novels on the kids section of NPR's Books We Love 2022.)
January 7, 2023
Just a beautiful book about intergenerational familial love and the sharing of wisdom. It is described as “the modern day response to The Giving Tree.” I didn’t even make that connection, but love how in this story, the more love and devotion that is given creates an abundance of gifts, rather than depletes them.
October 5, 2022
This is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book about how love can permeate a family through generations. A grandma and her grandson begin the book by sharing experiences, learning, and loving one another. The book ends four generations later with the great-great-great-grandson passing on the same experiences and lessons on love. I found this to be so sweet and touching to see how one person can impact a family and the environment around them. Maybe some day I will be able to make the same impact.
Find it in our SHARE Catalog today!
Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
Find it in our SHARE Catalog today!
Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
January 21, 2023
I'm not sure if a picture book can be epic, but if so, maybe this one is. It spans multiple generations anyway. Beautiful pictures to go along with beautiful themes about love, family, service, and environmentalism.
January 20, 2023
Like many others, I kept thinking of The Giving Tree peopled with hippie "Love Children" as I read this one.
The grandmother loves the boy so much, she gave him her time, the wonders she found, and other intangibles including her unbounded love. One day, she has passed on. The boy grows up to be a father of a girl; he gives her the same gift his grandmother gave him. The girl became a mother to a boy, so she gave him all the gifts she had been given...
There is a charm to Campbell's cyclical story. She wisely keeps the same story pattern, but updates and changes up the details each time and edits out superfluous events that readers will assume happens. This accelerates the pacing of the story.
Francesca Sanna's digital illustrations depict a diverse family that changes each generation. Her color pallet is largely gold/orange, green, and purple - an interesting combination, though not one that particularly appeals to my senses. She mirrors the story visually when possible, showing the same trees, woods, house, etc. I think it is all the flowers in everyone's hair that makes me think of hippies with this book...
This would be a good exemplar to use for kids to write their own family's story. Include this title in a unit on families and intergenerational families.
Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.
The grandmother loves the boy so much, she gave him her time, the wonders she found, and other intangibles including her unbounded love. One day, she has passed on. The boy grows up to be a father of a girl; he gives her the same gift his grandmother gave him. The girl became a mother to a boy, so she gave him all the gifts she had been given...
There is a charm to Campbell's cyclical story. She wisely keeps the same story pattern, but updates and changes up the details each time and edits out superfluous events that readers will assume happens. This accelerates the pacing of the story.
Francesca Sanna's digital illustrations depict a diverse family that changes each generation. Her color pallet is largely gold/orange, green, and purple - an interesting combination, though not one that particularly appeals to my senses. She mirrors the story visually when possible, showing the same trees, woods, house, etc. I think it is all the flowers in everyone's hair that makes me think of hippies with this book...
This would be a good exemplar to use for kids to write their own family's story. Include this title in a unit on families and intergenerational families.
Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.
July 26, 2023
This is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book about how love can permeate a family through generations. A grandma and her grandson begin the book by sharing experiences, learning, and loving one another. The book ends four generations later with the great-great-great-grandson passing on the same experiences and lessons on love. I found this to be so sweet and touching to see how one person can impact a family and the environment around them. Maybe some day I will be able to make the same impact.
October 7, 2022
It’s a beautifully illustrated children’s book about never ending kindness and a legacy of love between grandmothers, parents and children.
October 20, 2022
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous but I had trouble connecting the parallells between the growing family and the growing forest.
January 16, 2023
This one is a 3.5 for me. I must have been tired the first time I read this picture book because even though I was moved by the positive message about how a family's love and generosity are passed down through the generations, I didn't really think about The Giving Tree with its own problematic message of self-sacrifice. From the opening pages, it's clear that the grandmother and her grandson love each other and the gifts she offers are those of time and connecting to nature, even teaching him patience as he watches a tree grow. It's also clear that he also has gifts for her. The lessons she teaches him and the example of love stay with him as he dreams and passes them on to his daughter, and then she does the same for her son. As their love grows, touching those around them, so does the forest, started from just that one sapling planted long ago. Lines such as "The boy always had more love to give, and he got love in return" bring to mind sentiments from the 1960s and the Woodstock era but also remind readers that it's impossible to love others without also loving and caring for oneself. Clearly, as the text and digital illustrations show, love grows in this family tree, strong, rooted in the right ways and nurtured through the generations. I loved the sumptuous greens that are used in the illustrations as well as the flower crowns that adorn the heads of the characters and the tender way the family members hold each other. For comparison, teachers might want to share both this one and The Giving Tree. It might be worth discussing with an older audience whether "in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make" as Paul McCartney once wrote.
November 16, 2022
Campbell tells the story of a boy who loved his grandmother. The grandmother shows her love by hugs, stories, and words of wisdom. She helps the boy plant a tree. Grandma teaches him patience as the tree grows. Eventually the grandmother passes away and the boy then passes his knowledge from his grandma to his own children. The story goes through 3 generations of the same family passing on cherished traditions.
I can hugely relate to this book because I had a very close relationship with my grandmother. The only thing that confused me is when the grandma passed away. You had to make assumptions that the grandma was gone. I wished they had a sentence that mentions the grandma's passing tactfully. I loved the illustrations in this book. It's very colorful and engaging. The back cover visually tells the story in just one illustration. I truly enjoyed this book as a whole. There is power in passing family traditions. From the illustrations the family seems to be of African descent, but that is not clear from the text.
I can hugely relate to this book because I had a very close relationship with my grandmother. The only thing that confused me is when the grandma passed away. You had to make assumptions that the grandma was gone. I wished they had a sentence that mentions the grandma's passing tactfully. I loved the illustrations in this book. It's very colorful and engaging. The back cover visually tells the story in just one illustration. I truly enjoyed this book as a whole. There is power in passing family traditions. From the illustrations the family seems to be of African descent, but that is not clear from the text.
December 4, 2023
In this beautifully illustrated picture book, we meet a loving grandmother and her grandson. Readers follow along as the grandmother shares her wisdom and love and her awe of nature with her grandson, who watches a beautiful tree grow along with him. And so it continues; the story shifts between the boy who becomes a father, who passes down his grandmother's wisdom and love to a daughter who then becomes a mother herself.
Woven throughout is a beautiful depiction of how generations of love and wisdom are passed down. It's a story of how love and kindness grow and spread, and is a truly beautiful book about families. As a content warning to parents and caregivers, this story does mention the concept of death as well, teaching how death is part of life too. Overall, such a beautifully moving picture book!
Sarah M. | Marathon County Public Library
See this book in our catalog.
Woven throughout is a beautiful depiction of how generations of love and wisdom are passed down. It's a story of how love and kindness grow and spread, and is a truly beautiful book about families. As a content warning to parents and caregivers, this story does mention the concept of death as well, teaching how death is part of life too. Overall, such a beautifully moving picture book!
Sarah M. | Marathon County Public Library
See this book in our catalog.
September 23, 2022
This book is written in response to The Giving Tree, but you don't need to be familiar with it to appreciate The more You Give. It shows a family's legacy of love and nurturing and children returning that love. It reinforces the message that many gifts are not physical or tangible, but things like knowledge, traditions, and faith. I feel like this book could become a modern classic with a growing tree as a metaphor for family. The white space represents the passage of time and a changing color palette in the illustrations signifies different generations.
It's implied that people do die in this book but not before they've shared their wisdom, and nurtured the environment, and left behind important lessons; and they certainly aren't killed by a boy who takes and takes and takes until there's nothing left. It ends on a happy, hopeful note instead of that sad, depressing, codependent other book.
It's implied that people do die in this book but not before they've shared their wisdom, and nurtured the environment, and left behind important lessons; and they certainly aren't killed by a boy who takes and takes and takes until there's nothing left. It ends on a happy, hopeful note instead of that sad, depressing, codependent other book.
September 21, 2024
"The More You Give" is a picture book written by a black author named Marcy Campbell. The narrative focuses on a grandmother who enjoys giving her family gifts of time, love, and wisdom in addition to material goods. She instills these ideals in her children and grand-kids as she gets older. The grandmother's deeds in the book convey to the family that giving brings about receiving in terms of love, joy, and contentment. I adore that the book will enable me to demonstrate to my students how deeds of compassion and charity may have a snowball effect, inspiring new generations to carry on the giving legacy. I will teach my kids the value of selflessness and the enduring strength of family ties by reading this book to them. Additionally, it inspires students to consider the ways in which small but profound deeds of kindness might improve the lives of others. It is an amazing book that supports the ideas of generosity, family, and the lasting impact of giving.
August 2, 2023
In this beautifully illustrated picture book, we meet a loving grandmother and her grandson. Readers follow along as the grandmother shares her wisdom and love and her awe of nature with her grandson, who watches a beautiful tree grow along with him. And so it continues; the story shifts between the boy who becomes a father, who passes down his grandmother's wisdom and love to a daughter who becomes a mother herself.
Told throughout is a beautiful depiction of how generations of love and recipes and wisdom are passed down. It's a story of how love and kindness grow and spread, and is a truly beautiful book about families. As a warning to parents and guardians, it does mention death as well, understandably teaching how death is part of life too. Overall, such a beautifully moving picture book!
Told throughout is a beautiful depiction of how generations of love and recipes and wisdom are passed down. It's a story of how love and kindness grow and spread, and is a truly beautiful book about families. As a warning to parents and guardians, it does mention death as well, understandably teaching how death is part of life too. Overall, such a beautifully moving picture book!
November 15, 2023
A beautiful story about the passing down of knowledge from generation to generation. Even though the planting of an acorn may not be considered a family custom or tradition, this would be a nice story to share to start a unit on customs or to encourage children and students to ask their parents and older relatives what's been passed down from generation to generation in their own families.
I couldn't help but flashback to being a small child and learning from my dad or uncle how long it would take an acorn to grow if we planted it. The idea of it taking until I was an adult was fascinating to young me.
I couldn't help but flashback to being a small child and learning from my dad or uncle how long it would take an acorn to grow if we planted it. The idea of it taking until I was an adult was fascinating to young me.
October 12, 2022
I was trying to remember why I put this book on hold, and as soon as I opened it, I knew it was the illustrations by Francesca Sanna, who wrote the amazing picture book, The Journey. Before I knew that this was a response to The Giving Tree, my first thought was, 'This is much better than The Giving Tree!' I'm not personally a fan of intergenerational stories (still traumatized by Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola), but I see the value in exposing kids to such things, and this is done in a gentle way.
April 17, 2023
4.5
Beginning with a boy and his grandmother, this story starts with their love and gifts to one another. Gifts like hugs and time and patience. And then the boy passes those gifts to his daughter, and she to her son.
She has borrowed the refrain from The Giving Tree: "and they were happy," but the love that is shared and passed on here is much more fulfilling and much less self-sacrificial.
Beginning with a boy and his grandmother, this story starts with their love and gifts to one another. Gifts like hugs and time and patience. And then the boy passes those gifts to his daughter, and she to her son.
She has borrowed the refrain from The Giving Tree: "and they were happy," but the love that is shared and passed on here is much more fulfilling and much less self-sacrificial.
December 31, 2022
Marcy Campbell's book The More You Give beautifully captures the power of passing things on over time whether those are tangible items like seeds and acorns that can be planted or intangible gifts like wisdom, kindness and love. In this short picture book, we see three cycles of adults and children receiving and giving these gifts to each other. It definitely demonstrates the long-lasting effects of what one generation shares with the next generation.
January 26, 2023
“And he explained how love, even when given to the smallest of things, can spread, up and out, and grow bigger than she could ever imagine.”
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Momma’s and Daddy’s… this book needs to be on your family bookshelf. Probably the most beautiful children’s book I’ve ever read. Physically beautiful as well. The pages are captivating. The colors are breathtakingly artistic. Such a good story. We checked this out from the library but I am for sure ordering a copy. 🖤 #bedtimestory #ImagineHowLoveCanGrow
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Momma’s and Daddy’s… this book needs to be on your family bookshelf. Probably the most beautiful children’s book I’ve ever read. Physically beautiful as well. The pages are captivating. The colors are breathtakingly artistic. Such a good story. We checked this out from the library but I am for sure ordering a copy. 🖤 #bedtimestory #ImagineHowLoveCanGrow
January 22, 2024
"And he explained how love, even when given to the smallest of things, can spread, up and out, and grow bigger than she can ever imagine."
This book is a beautiful story of how love, kindness, and knowledge are spread from generation to generation in a family. This story tells how all of those things grow more and more with each child until they have so much love it is compared to being a forest.
This book is a beautiful story of how love, kindness, and knowledge are spread from generation to generation in a family. This story tells how all of those things grow more and more with each child until they have so much love it is compared to being a forest.
August 12, 2022
Yes, this book is truly a "modern day response to The Giving Tree." (Let's call it "The Giving Tree" for a younger generation though.....makes it feel like my parents are old as dirt and from the days of wind up cars and no electricity.)
I digress.
This book made me CRY. It truly is a homage to family and to love and to building what matters. It is beautiful.
I digress.
This book made me CRY. It truly is a homage to family and to love and to building what matters. It is beautiful.
September 3, 2022
I liked this and am not sure why I didn't love the illustrations, but I didn't. I also think it would be had to use as a read aloud because it seemed to have so many generations. I guess you could pair it with other family genertaional stories. In reflection I guess I appreciate that there was diversity in the families represented.
September 26, 2022
This book is absolutely stunning. It captures the beautiful spirit of giving as it passes through generations. I found myself drawn into the text, captivated by the words and the powerful illustrations. I loved the ways in which the spirit of giving is captured across three generations. Overall, I love the way it captures kindness, wisdom, and love.
December 5, 2022
A lovely story about family and the passage of time through generations as the trees grow and spread into a forest. The art is beautiful and there is a lot of love and tenderness in the story. However, it just went on too long with the repeated ideas. The last couple of times the story started over in the next generation, my daughter shifted in her seat. "Not again!" she said with a sigh.
April 19, 2023
I loved this book! It starts out with a relationship between a boy and his grandmother and talks about all the "gifts" she shares with him. Gifts such as hugs, laughter, and her wisdom including how things grow. As things grow around him, so does the his relationships as he adds to his family. It's a beautiful story about how the more love you give something/someone, the more love you have.
August 20, 2023
Circles of life beginning with a boy and his grandmother. And oh, grandmother is gone, but the tree they planted together grows and shades the now-grown boy and his daughter. She, too, grows up and shares the tree(s) with others. Gorgeous. Quiet. Excellent potential for classroom discussions about nature, loss, patience, family, and community.
February 13, 2024
A truly beautiful book about love, filled with wisdom on how things grow (people and trees and kindness). A loose thread that is woven throughout is also that of losing someone, but how they can live on through memories, recipes, wisdom, and more.
I love that our first lead, a little boy, wears a flower behind his ear, a flower necklace, and a flower crown. I'm a boy and I love flowers, too.
I love that our first lead, a little boy, wears a flower behind his ear, a flower necklace, and a flower crown. I'm a boy and I love flowers, too.
August 8, 2022
Head over heels for this beautiful picture book story of patience and wisdom and love.
The More You Give is full of zillions of moments that will fill your heart and help the young readers in your life see the value of generosity & growth.
The More You Give is full of zillions of moments that will fill your heart and help the young readers in your life see the value of generosity & growth.
October 1, 2022
I love that this book is described as a modern-day response to The Giving Tree. Because instead of giving of yourself so much that you become nothing but a stump for your child to sit on, this is a book that shows how giving can give back... by creating a whole forest.
October 23, 2022
This book wasn't what I expected, but it was quite good. I love the changing field, and I love the family table at the end. Families are important, and I like the inter-generational aspect of the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews