Shel Silverstein Narrates an Animated Version of ‘The Giving Tree’

Share:

This New York Times article about childhood authors Shel Silverstein, Maurice Sendak, and Dr. Seuss reminded us that both Silverstein and Sendak are publishing new books this month. Silverstein’s, called Everything On It , is a posthumous collection of poems and comes out on September 20. We obviously can’t wait, and to that end, we’ve been going through the Silverstein archives.

Back in 1964, Shel Silverstein wrote The Giving Tree, which has become one of the most beloved children’s books ever — and certainly his most famous — despite how selfish that little boy was. We’re not sure how we managed to miss it earlier in life, but we just discovered that the author narrated an animated version of the story in 1973. He also showed off his harmonica chops on the soundtrack. We’ll warn you: It’s a bit weird hearing Silverstein’s voice because it sounds so antithetical to the whimsical voice of his words. Check it out after the jump.

[via Coudal]