THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES

Recommended for grades: 3-8
Curriculum Connections:
60 minutes

Hear the wind, feel the rain, smell the lavender in this multi-sensory theatrical delight!

Based on the beloved fable and book by Jean Giono, The Man Who Planted Trees is a unique blend of comedy and puppetry that tells the inspiring ecologically-oriented tale of a French shepherd who sets out with his dog to plant a forest and transform a barren wasteland.

Elzéard Bouffier devotes his entire life to reforesting a desolate portion of Provence in Southern France. By planting 100 acorns each day before, through, and after both World Wars, Bouffier transforms a sorrowful place into one full of life and joy - a total transformation of the landscape from one devoid of life to one filled with the scent of flowers, the songs of birds and fresh, flowing water. Scotland's Puppet State Theatre Company brings to life this uplifting and unforgettable story and reminds us of the difference one man (and his dog!) can make in the world.

The Story Behind the Story:

Jean Giono was asked by the Reader's Digest to write something for a feature entitled 'The Most Extraordinary Person I Have Ever Known'. They loved his story until they discovered that Elzéard Bouffier, the main character, never actually existed. Giono said, 'If you didn't want fiction you shouldn't have come to a novelist'. They never printed the story. It was first published in Vogue and Giono subsequently gifted it to the public domain. Since its first publication in 1953, the book has sold over a quarter of a million copies and inspired countless people around the world.

"I wrote this story to make people love trees, or more precisely to make people love planting trees. Of all my stories it is one of the ones of which I am most proud. It has never earned me a penny and for that reason it has accomplished the very purpose for which it was written." ~Jean Giono, 1957

Additional Information:

• Read what Puppet State Theatre Company has to say about this production.
• Watch The Man Who Planted Trees animated film.
• Purchase The Man Who Planted Trees book at Hicklebee's Children's Books.