Where the Inspiration from the Book Came From by Tarky Lee – Guest Blog and Giveaway

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Seven years ago, I changed my fate. Switching careers from corporate public relations to becomnig a professional childcare provider was the best decision I ever made. Working with kids again saved my soul. One night I read Shel Silversein’s book The Giving Tree to a kiddo before bed. When I closed the book, she looked at me with such heaviness and said, “That’s a very sad story about the tree. I am too sad to sleep now.” I felt deeply there was more story for the tree.

Sitting there with her tender young spirit in my arms, I asked her, “What do you think happens to the tree now?” We imagined a little girl finding the tree stump and loving her so much that she found it in herself to grow back. I tucked her in and felt an idea be born. Over the next year, I wrote a story that stands on its own as a new chapter of life through the simple metaphor of a tree.

Generations of people grew up with Shel Silverstein’s books. His works felt like the first time an adult was honest about the strange and confusing experience of being a human. His works have inspired much of my own artistic expression and freedom. My hope is that we learn from both the stories of our past and are brave enough to create new tales for our future. The story of this tree belongs to us all. The Giving Back Tree is here to remind us, we can grow back.

Generations of people grew up with Shel Silverstein’s books. His works felt like the first time an adult was honest about the strange and confusing experience of being a human. His art has inspired much of my own artistic expression and freedom. The book The Missing Piece still offers me comforting reminders that I am whole and never need to fit into anyone else to be loved. Some of Silverstein’s other works are complex and evoke mixed emotions, like The Giving Tree.

Growing up I read the book many times, but not always with the warmest feeling, as the taking boy reminded me of the selfishness of boys at school. I heard parents tell me, they felt that the tree was a metaphor for being a parent, constantly giving. Then one night, as a nanny, I read The Giving Tree to a kiddo before bed. When I closed the book, she looked at me with heaviness and said, “That’s a very sad story about the tree. I am too sad to sleep now.” I felt deeply there was more story for the tree.

Yes, everything can be taken from us in life, but powerfully and boldly, life continues to grow. Even in the hardest of conditions, nature finds a way around obstacles. It was with this central idea that The Giving Back Tree was born. A story of a little girl who finds the lone and forgotten stump, and chooses to love her unconditionally. Sometimes loving others in hard places can feel this way, and this book beautifully illustrates a simple message: we CAN grow back.

The Giving Tree is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author Tarky Lee is an Oakland, California based queer artist, writer, activist, and professional child care provider. She believes the stories we tell ourselves and others have the power to reshape our lives and heal our hearts. This is her first illustrated publication. She looks forward to sharing many more of her books, ideas, and art with the world.

Tarky is a name given to the author by a powerful spirit she nannied named Alaska. Lee is the author’s middle name. The pen name Tarky Lee is a dedication to the child that lives in us all.

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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