Published: 2022
Author: Marcy Campbell
Illustrator: Francesca Sanna
Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Love, Nature, Fiction, Grief, Emotion, Juvenile, Death
Audience (Grade Levels): Elementary / Pre-K to Grade 3
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars)
Goodreads Link: The More You Give
Triggers: Generational loss / Death (implied through aging and heritage)
Review By: Mary Beth Cavalieri
Publisher’s Summary:
A modern-day response to The Giving Tree, this lyrical picture book 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.
Review:
There are many themes in this story that make it a beautiful read-aloud. I thought that the focus on the non-material things that get passed within a loving family were a sweet testament to connectedness. The story demonstrates generational change too, which can sometimes be difficult for children to understand.
I loved the focus on the environment and the impact that caring for the environment has on the future, another somewhat abstract topic for children. The many gifts a family provides can be discussed and shared within the context of character traits and community, rather than being financially-based. I believe this story is applicable to all ages of folks. It would even make a great gift for a grandmother!
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- Social Emotional Learning (SEL): An exceptional anchor text for exploring family structures, connectedness, generational aging, and the processing of grief or transition as families grow over time.
- Environmental Studies & Ecology: Introduces the concepts of conservation, stewardship, and environmental impact, tracking how planting seeds and nurturing living things establishes a lasting future legacy.
- Social Studies & Community Economics: Provides a tangible foundation for defining “wealth” and “gifts” through non-material character traits, shared wisdom, and emotional support rather than financial standing.
Extension Activity / Library Application:
- The “Non-Material Heritage” Time Capsule: Prompt students to reflect on the reviewer’s note about non-financial family gifts. Have children draw or write about a favorite story, recipe, piece of advice, or tradition passed down by a family member or mentor, creating a classroom “Legacy Display.”
- “How Things Grow” Comparative Analysis: Read The More You Give alongside Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. Host a library group discussion or primary grade debate comparing the unilateral sacrifice of Silverstein’s tree against the sustainable, cyclical, and collaborative relationship modeled in Campbell’s text.
Diversity & Representation:
Illustrated by award-winning creator Francesca Sanna, this picture book offers a globally accessible visual landscape that handles abstract concepts like lineage, community interdependence, and life cycles with deep emotional equity. By centering the narrative on universal human experiences—such as grandmotherly love, bedtime storytelling, and nature exploration—the book creates an equitable entry point for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds to explore family systems without material bias.
Readalikes:
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
- The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros
- Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
