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The Shady Tree
A beautiful companion to Demi's classic The Empty Pot .
In this new Chinese fable, Ping returns and deals with the selfish and greedy Tan Tan, who owns a beautiful house and a beautiful shady tree, but who does not share. Ping turns Tan Tan's greed into his own gain, but even with his new-found wealth, Ping is true to his generous nature―there is room for everyone. Simply told and beautifully illustrated, The Shady Tree is sure to become a classic.
In this new Chinese fable, Ping returns and deals with the selfish and greedy Tan Tan, who owns a beautiful house and a beautiful shady tree, but who does not share. Ping turns Tan Tan's greed into his own gain, but even with his new-found wealth, Ping is true to his generous nature―there is room for everyone. Simply told and beautifully illustrated, The Shady Tree is sure to become a classic.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 2016
2 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Demi
179 books179 followersDemi (September 2, 1942) born Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt, is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. During her career she has published over 300 titles.
Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the great-grand daughter of the American painter William Morris Hunt, and the great-grand niece of architect Richard Morris Hunt. Demi earned her nickname as a young child when her father started calling her demi because she was half the size of her sister.
She studied art at Instituto Allende, Mexico, and with Sister Corita at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. She was a Fulbright scholar at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she received her Master’s degree.
Demi is known for her biographies for spiritual figures including Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), Muhammad, Rumi, Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama.
In 1990, Demi and her husband Tze-si “Jesse” Huang represented the United States at the First Children’s International Book Conference in Beijing.
Source: Wikipedia
Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the great-grand daughter of the American painter William Morris Hunt, and the great-grand niece of architect Richard Morris Hunt. Demi earned her nickname as a young child when her father started calling her demi because she was half the size of her sister.
She studied art at Instituto Allende, Mexico, and with Sister Corita at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. She was a Fulbright scholar at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she received her Master’s degree.
Demi is known for her biographies for spiritual figures including Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), Muhammad, Rumi, Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama.
In 1990, Demi and her husband Tze-si “Jesse” Huang represented the United States at the First Children’s International Book Conference in Beijing.
Source: Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 2, 2019
A long time ago in China, a rich boy named Tan Tan enjoyed all that he had, especially a large tree on his property. When a poor boy, Ping, offers to purchase only the tree's shade, Tan Tan is quick to capitalise. Ping basks in the protection of the shade, able to take advantage of the situation, while Tan Tan feels he has been duped. By the end, both boys learn a valuable lesson about life and the definition of riches. Neo liked the story and laughed when he noticed that Tan Tan was greedy and ended up losing most of all. Wonderfully illustrated and easy to comprehend, this is a great story for a child to read or listen to, no matter the time of day.
April 13, 2017
I enjoyed this one and there is a good lesson to be shared with our children but I do still appreciate the companion volume, The Empty Pot, better. Demi creates such beautiful work for children that I do think it is a shame the more adults don't take the time to submerge themselves in her offerings, with a child at your side or alone.
November 28, 2017
A rich boy named Tan Tan has seller’s remorse. He never should have made that deal with Ping! His poor neighbor offered to buy the shade of Tan Tan’s beautiful tree, and greedy Tan Tan loved money. What he didn’t realize is shade can go many places. Soon Ping is sitting in his house, along with his animals and his friends. He even naps on Tan Tan’s bed! Demi’s charming illustrations are set within circular boundaries that frame finely rendered details. Colorful images of trees, animals and architecture featured in the narrative evoke the Chinese setting of the original folk tale. When Tan Tan at last has a change of heart and decides to embrace friendship over selfishness, he breaks through the final circle into a dance around the shady tree.
December 2, 2019
Beautiful illustrations and story. Tan Tan is greedy. He has a beautiful home and a shady tree. When Ping offers to buy the shade, Tan Tan thinks this will be a good deal. But Ping is wise and crafty and now Ping invites his friends and others to sit in the shade that belongs to him...even when the shade is INSIDE Tan Tan's home.
September 11, 2018
A little silly and made me laugh out loud :-)
December 5, 2018
Reading Folklore offers opportunities to take a step back from the mundane tasks of daily living and ponder the critical questions in life, often from a cultural perspective that is outside your own. I recently finished reading Demi's book, The Shady Tree. I chose the book because of the genre but also because of my long-standing love for Demi's book, The Empty Pot. While this book appears very similar in the illustrations and the cover layout, it is a different story with another profound message.
The tale is about two boys. One named Tan Tan is very rich, and the other Ping is very poor. When Ping buys the shade from the tree that belongs to Tan Tan, he becomes very wealthy, and Tan Tan becomes jealous and resentful. As Ping's riches grow, he is generous and kind and shares his good fortune with all those around him. His behavior is in stark contrast to the selfish behavior of Tan Tan. The story unfolds with a tender ending, and the message resonates with the reader. It is a lesson about generosity and forgiveness.
In the classroom, this book would be an excellent example of folklore for students studying genres, and for the character education curriculum. The book would challenge students to use higher order thinking skills to grasp the message and it could easily be used with a writing assignment. For Fourth Grade, some scaffolding would be necessary for many students to uncover the symbolism of the shade and to grasp the message. However, this would be a lesson worth implementing.
The tale is about two boys. One named Tan Tan is very rich, and the other Ping is very poor. When Ping buys the shade from the tree that belongs to Tan Tan, he becomes very wealthy, and Tan Tan becomes jealous and resentful. As Ping's riches grow, he is generous and kind and shares his good fortune with all those around him. His behavior is in stark contrast to the selfish behavior of Tan Tan. The story unfolds with a tender ending, and the message resonates with the reader. It is a lesson about generosity and forgiveness.
In the classroom, this book would be an excellent example of folklore for students studying genres, and for the character education curriculum. The book would challenge students to use higher order thinking skills to grasp the message and it could easily be used with a writing assignment. For Fourth Grade, some scaffolding would be necessary for many students to uncover the symbolism of the shade and to grasp the message. However, this would be a lesson worth implementing.
May 7, 2017
Lovely watercolor and mixed media illustrations complement the story of two very different boys living in China. Their paths cross when Ping seeks shelter under a tree on Tan Tan's property. The wealthy Tan Tan is not very considerate of the poorer boy, and he insists that he leave and stay off his property. Ping offers to buy the shade provided by the tree, and Tan Tan takes him up on his offer. To his chagrin, it turns out that Ping got the better end of the deal since the shade provided by the tree covers various parts of Tan Tan's property. Tan Tan cannot handle having Ping and all of his friends around him, and he moves out of his own house. But as the story concludes, Ping's generous nature prompts him to extend that kindness even to Tan Tan when he seeks shade and friendship. This is a great story for sharing with youngsters to teach them about compassion, generosity, and the results of greed.
April 14, 2020
Read for Children's Lit class. In this contemporary Chinese fable, wealthy Tan Tan owns a wonderful home with a beautiful shady tree. Rather than let poor Ping sit in the shade for a while, Tan Tan sells it to him. But Ping shares the shade with anyone who asks, including his friends and their pets, even as the shade moves into the house! The pictures in this book are inspired by traditional Chinese art, lacking perspective. They are framed within a circular shape, taking advantage of that to show unique angles, such as the tree from above with all of its animal inhabitants.
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2020: a book set in a country beginning with "C"
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2020: a book set in a country beginning with "C"
May 18, 2017
Ping, the protagonist from Demi’s The Empty Pot, is back in this charmingly illustrated tale about an avaricious rich boy and his wondrous tree. When Greedy Tan Tan sells Ping the shade of his beautiful tree, his does not foresee how doing so will change his life. As the shade of the tree moves to cover parts of Tan Tan’s house, Ping moves himself, his animals, and his friends in, enraging Tan Tan. Luckily, Ping’s generosity extends even to him. This book is a recommended addition for comprehensive collections.
April 30, 2018
I liked this book, but wasn't thrilled with it. The illustrations are nice. My children enjoyed it as a read aloud, but this isn't one we'll read over and over again. Mostly it just showed what a brat one of the characters was, and if you want to have friends, you need to be nice and share. Good message.
May 17, 2025
When a poor boy named Ping sits down in the shade of his tree, rich Tan Tan is outraged, and demands that the interloper move on. Thinking he can never afford to buy the tree, Ping offers to buy its shade, and greedy Tan Tan agrees, not realizing that the shade will move over the course of the day, granting Ping access to various parts of his house. Although dismayed by this result, Tan Tan can do nothing, as Ping now owns the rights to the tree's shade, and invites all of his friends to enjoy it as well...
According to the information on the colophon, The Shady Tree is a retelling of a Chinese folktale, although no information is given anywhere in the book, as to source or specific origin. Leaving that aside—and it does bother me, in recent folkloric retellings, to see an absence of attribution—I found this one appealing, appreciating both the simple teaching tale and the accompanying illustrations, created using watercolor and mixed media. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, to those looking for picture book retellings of Chinese tales, and to fans of the artist.
According to the information on the colophon, The Shady Tree is a retelling of a Chinese folktale, although no information is given anywhere in the book, as to source or specific origin. Leaving that aside—and it does bother me, in recent folkloric retellings, to see an absence of attribution—I found this one appealing, appreciating both the simple teaching tale and the accompanying illustrations, created using watercolor and mixed media. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, to those looking for picture book retellings of Chinese tales, and to fans of the artist.
July 24, 2024
I just read a version of this story that Suzy Lee did. It's nice having the two different versions of this story.
Demi tells this in a very classic way. A story set in ancient China. There is a tree and a wealthy boy who is greedy to the core. He loves his tree. One day, he finds another boy sitting under his tree. He tells the boy to get lost. The boy asks to buy the shade of the tree. Tan Tan, the owner, thinks he can scam this boy, so he lets the boy pay for the shade.
That's when all the trouble starts. The shade covers his house, so when the shade is over the house, the boy can go in freely. Tan Tan hates this.
It's a silly story and I like it alot. Some things, we simply shouldn't profit from and if we do, it comes back to bite us.
The art work is classic Demi. The paintings are lovely and feel like ancient works. A great book.
Demi tells this in a very classic way. A story set in ancient China. There is a tree and a wealthy boy who is greedy to the core. He loves his tree. One day, he finds another boy sitting under his tree. He tells the boy to get lost. The boy asks to buy the shade of the tree. Tan Tan, the owner, thinks he can scam this boy, so he lets the boy pay for the shade.
That's when all the trouble starts. The shade covers his house, so when the shade is over the house, the boy can go in freely. Tan Tan hates this.
It's a silly story and I like it alot. Some things, we simply shouldn't profit from and if we do, it comes back to bite us.
The art work is classic Demi. The paintings are lovely and feel like ancient works. A great book.
January 19, 2021
About sharing and room for all and not being greedy.
Rich Tan Tan hurts himself when he allows his greed to get the better of him and doesn't think things through.
Then, he's so mad that he moves far away from his house, the tree, and friends. Cutting off his nose to spite his face is what my father would have said.
Rich Tan Tan hurts himself when he allows his greed to get the better of him and doesn't think things through.
Then, he's so mad that he moves far away from his house, the tree, and friends. Cutting off his nose to spite his face is what my father would have said.
October 2, 2025
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a good book to use for an emotions unit in the upper elementary grades because it is a harder read. I honestly understood it more when I went back to read it again and again. It could have more details throughout it, but I thought it was an enjoyable read with a good ending.
November 3, 2016
Nice, but.....? I'm not sure what comes after the "but," but something does. Maybe it seems a little too neat and straightforward? But it's a kids' story, so the meaning needs to be clear (and it is).
February 14, 2018
A rich boy doesn't want to share his tree. Poor boy buys the shade, then is able to go into the rich boys house and bedroom etc. Rich boy moves out. Poor boy moves in and shares with everyone, even the rich boy.
September 22, 2019
Ping is a sweet boy.
But Tanten though, that boy made me want to trip him! Greedy butt!
Overall, a lovely colorful story.
(Date(s) & Time(s) Read: 12th August 2019; 3:47pm to 12th August 2019; 3:51pm)
But Tanten though, that boy made me want to trip him! Greedy butt!
Overall, a lovely colorful story.
(Date(s) & Time(s) Read: 12th August 2019; 3:47pm to 12th August 2019; 3:51pm)
September 18, 2023
A fun and entertaining story set in China. Richly detailed illustrations give kids plenty to look at while pondering the many lessons offered up: think things through before acting; enjoy what you have; share with others; nothing stays the same forever; forgiveness benefits everyone.
July 22, 2017
The fable gives this a nice quality, but I'm not sure the book will resonate with the readers I work in the ways I'm looking to use picture books this year.
February 3, 2018
An enchanting retelling of this Chinese folktale teaches readers about the importance of generosity and the power of forgiveness; however, the illustrations would benefit from full-page enlargement to help readers appreciate the details, such as the hidden hearts, more fully.
October 2, 2018
I enjoyed this author's book The Empty Pot much better.
January 17, 2019
The illustrations are lovely, like delicate porcelain painted plates. The story was surprising and amusing.
March 22, 2019
I don't understand how the printing in all of Demi's books is done. It has all the layered translucense of encaustic, but somehow done with regular commercial ink on regular commercial paper.
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March 4, 2020Beautiful story and has a lot of meaning
September 29, 2020
4.5 stars
“Ping never turned away anyone who wanted to rest or to sing and dance in the beautiful shade of the shady tree.”
“Ping never turned away anyone who wanted to rest or to sing and dance in the beautiful shade of the shady tree.”
January 21, 2021
About sharing and not thinking of yourself as above others. (And also about making a very poor -- or very clever, depending on which person you're thinking about in this scenario -- deal.)
July 11, 2021
I am a big fan of Demi's work and used many of her titles in my library classes. Somehow I had missed this charming tale about greed. Beautifully illustrated, as always.
December 29, 2021
I love the illustration style in this book. The story line is amusing but not too captivating.
February 10, 2024
This book had a beautiful lesson in it. Tan Tan is greedy and wants everything for himself, but Ping is able to teach him that having everything but being by yourself is lonely.
August 10, 2022
A simple lesson on selfishness and finding oneself alone through the habit of unkindness.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews