The Singing Tree facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Kate Seredy |
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| Illustrator | Kate Seredy |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Viking Books |
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Publication date
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1939 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 247 pp |
| ISBN | 0-670-64700-4 |
| Preceded by | The Good Master |
The Singing Tree is a children's book written and illustrated by Kate Seredy. It's a follow-up to her book The Good Master. This book was recognized as a Newbery Honor book in 1940. The story takes place in the countryside of Hungary four years after The Good Master. It continues the adventures of Kate and Jancsi. The book shows how World War I affected the people and the land.
Story Summary
It is 1914, and two years have passed since the first book. Jancsi Nagy is now called the "Young Master." He is becoming a skilled horseman. His father, Kate's Uncle Márton, has given him his own herd of animals. Kate's father has moved from Budapest to a nearby village to teach school. Even wild Kate is growing up and taking on more duties on the farm. She is in charge of the chickens and helps her Aunt with sewing and ironing.
Things are wonderful, but changes are coming. Kate loves the idea of growing up. But then she learns it means she might have to stop riding her favorite horse. A spoiled girl named Lily is coming to spend the summer with the Nagy family. Also, trouble is starting in Hungary. For almost 200 years, Hungary had an alliance with Austria. Its men served three years in the army under Austrian command. But old loyalties are getting weaker. People feel angry between Austrians, Magyars (Hungarians), and Slavs.
Coming home from a traditional Hungarian wedding, the tired Nagys hear bad news. Francis Ferdinand has been killed. Soon, all men between 22 and 30 years old are told to report for army duty. The small town has its first war death, young Rabbi Joseph Mandelbaum. Uncle Márton explains that "War is like a stampede, Jancsi. A small thing can start it. Then suddenly the earth shakes with fury. People turn into wild things, crushing everything beautiful and sweet. They destroy homes and lives blindly."
Life During the War
Everything changes in Hungary during the war, especially on the farm. Kate's father becomes a prisoner in Russia. Uncle Márton goes off to war, leaving Jancsi in charge. Every night, the family gathers in the kitchen. They read and reread news from their loved ones. Only a few old men and children are left to help with farm work. So, Jancsi asks for six Russian prisoners of war to help. Luckily, "Uncle" Moses Mandelbaum speaks Russian. Jancsi relies on him for help, as do all the other villagers left behind. Soon, the Russians feel at home on the farm. They grow healthy from Mother's cooking. They care for the sheep, horses, and each other.
Then, news stops coming from Uncle Márton. Months pass without a word. They stay busy with work and try to pretend they are not worried. When a letter comes from Auntie's parents, Jancsi, Kate, and Lily travel for two days to get them. They bring them to the farm. On the way home, they stop at a hospital. The girls visit the patients. One patient has lost his memory and is suffering from a serious mental stress from the war. He turns out to be Uncle Márton. He is sent home to recover. Fifteen-year-old Jancsi can relax and enjoy himself now that his father is home. They all hope the war will be over before he has to go back. Finally, the doctors decide that even brave Uncle Márton's mind can only handle so much horror. They tell the family he will not be sent back to the fighting.
The War Ends
News comes to the farm that England and France have blocked Germany. This means German children are starving. The Hungarian government asks people to volunteer to take in as many children as they can. They are asked to feed and care for them until the war ends. The Nagys take six German children.
For the fourth Christmas of the war, there are 20 people in the house. They are Hungarian, German, and Russian. They eat, exchange presents, and tell stories. That spring, Uncle Márton tells them about the singing tree. It was an apple tree the men saw one morning when everything around them was barren and dead. It sang because it was full of birds, all kinds of birds. They had sheltered in it during the night. "Perhaps they... were merely passing time until it would be safe to travel," he told them. But the tree would stay, "she, mother of all, she would remain the same." Finally, in the fall of 1918, the war ends. Men begin returning home. "Uncle" Moses' only living son comes home to be a shopkeeper like his father. The Russian prisoners and German children go home. Kate's father is coming back to the farm. Everyone hopes the world has learned how to live in peace at last.
Main Ideas
Kate Seredy was not afraid to write about important social issues in her books. She experienced physical and emotional difficulties from working as a nurse on the front lines during World War I. She used her experiences in several of her books, including The Singing Tree. It was published in 1939, at the start of World War II. But Seredy did not write a story that was just about patriotism. Instead, her main idea is war and the harm it does to people and the land.
The farm becomes a safe place for people from both sides of the conflict. But leaving it to join the fighting almost destroys Uncle Marton. Seredy did not just show the problems of war for one side. According to Ann Bartholomew, Seredy was "one of the first children's writers to have dealt with the problems of people from enemy countries" during wartime.
The Singing Tree Project
Inspired by Kate Seredy's book, artist Laurie Marshall started the Singing Tree Project in 2000. This happened when 8-year-old Meredith Miller asked her, "What if the whole world made a painting together?" Marshall didn't know how to start such a big project. Then she read Kate Seredy's main story about a single tree left standing in World War I. Birds who usually don't get along were singing a new song in it.
Marshall realized that Earth is like the Singing Tree of the galaxy. It is surrounded by no life for billions of miles. Humans can choose to destroy each other and the planet. Or they can create something beautiful that has never been heard before. The idea of a tree on Earth in space became the basic structure for the collaborative Singing Tree mural process.
More than 17,000 people from 50 countries have created an international Singing Tree Forest. So far, they have made 46 murals. Singing Trees are a visual example of democracy. They are also a way to build peace. The project follows three rules from nature:
- It can be copied.
- It has a clear goal, but local conditions decide its form.
- It is based on everyone needing each other.
Each Singing Tree is a different discussion about an important issue in the community. It is a physical reminder of a shared dream of success. The themes of the murals have included autism, freedom from addiction, homelessness, peace, sustainability, new ideas, the gift of being a woman, gratitude, appreciation, and what makes America great.
The Singing Tree Collaborative Mural Method is based on these ideas:
- Humans live on a rare and special planet.
- Trees and nature are vital for humans to survive and thrive.
- All the leaves of a tree work for the tree's benefit and have an important role.
- Humans can create wealth, health, and beauty for everyone.
The collaborative mural process helps people talk about the biggest challenges a group or community faces. It uses the smart ideas and wisdom of the community. This helps them imagine a shared vision of success and create new solutions. Anyone is free to create a Singing Tree in their community. Kate Seredy's book has led to something that is the opposite of war. It is an open invitation for all people to create together.
