The Money Tree [Hardcover]

Sarah Stewart (Author), David Small (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 1991 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From the window of her cozy farmhouse, Miss McGillicuddy notices "an unusual shape" poking through the snow. By spring it has grown into an oddly configured tree the branches of which are laden not with leaves but with dollar bills. Word of this extravagant foliage spreads fast and far, and all summer long the woman watches quietly as townsfolk and strangers greedily pick money from her tree. After its leaves drop to the ground and winter arrives once again, Miss McGillicuddy decides to chop down the tree, and she is left with something very valuable indeed: wood that will keep her warm during the coldest months. Though its message may be beyond the reach of some readers, Stewart's first book will raise worthwhile questions for both children and adults. Yet more exceptional than the story are Small's ( Paper John ) paintings. Often reminiscent of the art of Carl Larsson, these evocative, pastel-filled watercolors echo the hushed, mysterious tone of the tale. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-- In January Miss McGillicuddy notices a strange tree in her yard. Month by month, as the seasons change, it grows, faster than any normal plant, into a money tree. Friends, then neighbors, then strangers, then a crowd, ``surging back and forth,'' come to pluck its leaves. Each page recounts, in two sentences of restrained text, Miss McGillicuddy's seasonal activities and her observations of the tree and its changes. The illustrations in pale watercolors show the woman as tall, willowy, and faintly old-fashioned. She's a little out of touch with the times perhaps, but obviously at home with her own life and therefore attractive and pleasing. She is usually placed to the side of the picture, pausing in her activity to observe the tree, which is not always seen by readers. This enhances the sense of Miss McGillicuddy as an observer. The only double-page spread shows the crowds scrambling for the money leaves. It is done with black silhouettes against a dark blue and purple sky, separating it pictorially from the pale orderly pictures of Miss McGillicuddy's world. This quirky little story has charm, but it is perhaps too quiet and the woman too passive an observer for most children. She seems so cool and remote from the tree and the greedy crowds that when she takes action and cuts it up for firewood, the sense of completion and problem solved is diffused. Nevertheless, although not wildly ironic like Heide's Treehorn's Treasure (Holiday, 1981), this book, in a quiet way, makes a definite statement about the foibles of humankind. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (September 6, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374350140
• ISBN-13: 978-0374350147
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #978,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whimsical delight, May 7, 2001

By 

Mary G. Longorio "Texasbookgirl" (Eagle Mountain, UT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Money Tree (Collections for young scholars) (Paperback)

The enchanting tale of Miss McGillicuddy and the unusual tree that grew in her yard. It has a such a strange shape,and grew so fast. One day she realizes that the leaves are dollar bills, how strange! Miss McGillicuddy seems strangely unaffected by the money in the tree, she goes about her normal life. She is relieved that strangers come to pick the dollars off the branches, saving them from breaking from under the weight of the bills. As the seasons change, people are still trying to find money from the tree, which bemused the woman. As winter comes, she has the tree chopped down for firewood. Miss McGillicuddy is jusy as happy and content as she was before the magical tree grew. This book will spark any child's imagination. A wonderful story by Sarah Stewart, matched with delightful illustrations by David Small.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Philosophy of the Money Tree, October 6, 2008

By 

P. Holvey - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Money Tree (Collections for young scholars) (Paperback)

The Money Tree offers an alternative view of what is really important in life. Money begets greed is juxtaposed with the enduring rhythms of nature. What is true comfort? What has lasting value? The story spins an answer by following the main character through a calendar year and illustrating her simple pleasures against the backgroud of a strange tree.
The illustrations are magical and the story is timely. One of my very favorites- every 'child' should read it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lesson About What's Important!, March 31, 2007

By 

Kathleen M. Langston "BBD" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Money Tree (Collections for young scholars) (Paperback)

This is a great book for putting things in perspective. The main character has a tree in her yard which produces money. She becomes the most popular person in town. Everyone comes to her house to gather it's leaves. By winter she is becoming tired of her greedy neighbors. She cuts the tree down and uses it for something purposeful: to keep warm.