Actor and Oscar-winning songwriter Keith Carradine reads ‘The Giving Tree’ for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Storyline Online®
March 6, 2023
LOS ANGELES (March 7, 2023) – In preparation for this week’s Academy Awards, and the LOS ANGELES (March 6, 2023) – In preparation for this week’s Academy Awards, and the coming spring equinox, and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Storyline Online® features Oscar-winning songwriter and acclaimed actor Keith Carradine reading the classic children’s book, The Giving Tree. Written and illustrated by bestselling author Shel Silverstein, and published by HarperCollins, The Giving Tree has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide since it was first published in 1964.
The book follows the lives of an apple tree and a boy, who develop a strong bond with one another. The tree loves the boy very much and is very “giving” to him throughout his life, whereas the boy continues to “take” from the tree. The parable of The Giving Tree requires readers to reflect on personal accountability, mutual responsibility, and the imperfect nature of humans and relationships. Despite the fact that the boy ages in the story, the tree addresses the boy as “Boy” his entire life.
SAG-AFTRA Foundation President Courtney B. Vance is excited about Storyline Online’s second release of 2023, praising the creative combination of Carradine and Silverstein.
“Keith Carradine has earned tremendous success in several arts and entertainment arenas. Not only is he an Oscar-winning songwriter, and a Tony-nominated stage actor on Broadway, but he has given so many brilliant and memorable performances in some of the greatest films and television series of all-time including Nashville, Deadwood, and Dexter. Suffice to say, Keith has proven himself an incredibly versatile and successful artist, much like the beloved and extraordinarily imaginative author Shel Silverstein, who he wanted to introduce to our children’s literacy program. We are honored to feature Keith Carradine front and center in our latest Storyline Online read-aloud, bringing Shel Silverstein’s tale of The Giving Tree to life. We look forward to sharing this gem with our ever-growing global audience,” says Vance.
As with all Storyline Online read-alouds, The Giving Tree is accompanied by a complementary supplemental activity guide for teachers that aligns with Common Core Standards that strengthen verbal, written and comprehension skills. The Giving Tree is aimed at 2nd – 3rd grade students and encourages children to explore themes like friendship, greed, love and nature..
With over 900 million views worldwide, Storyline Online has been a trusted educational brand and free literacy resource for teachers and parents since 2001. Storyline Online remains committed to providing the extra help to teachers in classrooms, as well as parents with school-age children at home.
Carradine joins the illustrious cast of Storyline Online readers including Angela Bassett, Kristen Bell, Connie Britton, Terry Crews, Viola Davis, Rosario Dawson, Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Garner, Allison Janney, John Lithgow, Rami Malek, Seth Meyers, Chris Pine, Justin Theroux, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Yeoh, Sutton Foster and many more who have volunteered their time and talent to promote literacy and inspire a love of reading in hundreds of millions of children worldwide.
To watch The Giving Tree and all of Storyline Online’s read-alouds, visit storylineonline.net. Keep up with new videos by subscribing to Storyline Online on YouTube and following Storyline Online on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
ABOUT STORYLINE ONLINE
An Emmy®-nominated program of the nonprofit SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Storyline Online® streams 75 videos at no cost to children, parents, and educators worldwide. The site receives over nine million views every month and is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Library Association, as well as named one of the best websites by the American Association of School Librarians. In addition to the website, Storyline Online offers a free app for iPhone and Chrome devices. Storyline Online, like all SAG-AFTRA Foundation programs, relies solely on support from gifts, grants and sponsorships to produce new content. For more information, visit storylineonline.net.
CONNECT WITH STORYLINE ONLINE
Instagram: @storylineonline
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ABOUT THE SAG-AFTRA FOUNDATION
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides vital assistance and free educational programming to the professionals of SAG-AFTRA while serving the public at large through its award-winning children’s literacy program Storyline Online®. The Foundation relies solely on support from gifts, grants and sponsorships to maintain its free programs. For more information, visit sagaftra.foundation.
CONNECT WITH THE SAG-AFTRA FOUNDATION
Instagram: @sagaftrafound
TikTok: @sagaftrafound
Twitter: @sagaftrafound
Facebook: facebook.com/sagaftrafoundation
YouTube: youtube.com/sagaftrafoundation
Contact: Caroline O’Connor
Director of Communications
coconnor@sagaftra.foundation
323-549-6604
