Guess How Much I Love You [Board book]

Sam McBratney (Author), Anita Jeram (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: October 14, 2008 | Age Range: 2 - 3 years | Series: Guess How Much I Love You | Lexile Measure: 690L (What's this?)

"Guess how much I love you," says Little Nutbrown Hare. Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him: as wide as he can reach and as far as he can hop. But Big Nutbrown Hare, who can reach farther and hop higher, loves him back just as much. Well then Little Nutbrown Hare loves him right up to the moon, but that's just halfway to Big Nutbrown Hare's love for him.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Little Nutbrown Hare wants very much to impress Big Nutbrown Hare with the enormous scale of his devotion, but ends up being the one who's impressed. Subtitled "a pop-up edition," this sturdy square edition of Sam McBratney's ever-popular Guess How Much I Love You is probably better described as a "slide-along edition." Some pages do include pop-ups, but they aren't the best ones; instead, most involve pull-tabs which animate the two rabbits and their surroundings. One of the most appealing scenes simply shows Little Nutbrown Hare hopping up and down. In a purely technical sense this exercise in interactive cardboard technology is well behind some of the competition, but the tale has a timeless charm and the very simplicity of the movements makes it easy for small fingers to waggle the tabs and take control of the story. (Ages 2 to 4) --Richard Farr --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Fresh as a fiddlehead fern in spring, this beguiling bedtime tale features a pip of a young rabbit and his indulgent parent. Searching for words to tell his dad how much he loves him (and to put off bedtime just an eentsy bit longer), Little Nutbrown Hare comes up with one example after another ("I love you as high as I can hop!"), only to have Big Nutbrown Hare continually up the ante. Finally, on the edge of sleep, he comes up with a showstopper: "I love you right up to the moon." (Dad does top this declaration too, but only after his little bunny falls asleep.) Effused with tenderness, McBratney's wise, endearing and droll story is enriched by the near-monochromatic backdrop of Jeram's pen-and-wash artwork, rendered earthy tones of moss, soft brown and gray for a visually quieting effect just right for that last soothing tale before sleep. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 2 - 3 years
  
• Board book: 24 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; BRDBK edition (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763642649
• ISBN-13: 978-0763642648
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.5 x 5.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (501 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Rabbits
  • #18 in Books > Children's Books > Classics

More About the Author

Sam McBratney is the author of the acclaimed picture book Guess How Much I Love You. Sam's distinctive storytelling voice builds on his rich storytelling tradition as a teacher, parent, and grandparent. He lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 88 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful May 23, 2007

By Eva Monplaisier

Format:Board book

That's the most beautiful book for a young child that I know of. It perfectly expresses the mother's love. I enjoy reading it every night before my daughter goes to bed. I started to read it to her over a year ago when she was only two years old, and now she can read it with me. It has created a special bond between us. I highly recommend this book to any loving mother. In addition to that I also recommend a book series titled "Why Some Cats are Rascals ( Book 3)" containing lovely and inspiring stories for older children. My other recommendations go to:
Love You Forever
The Giving Tree
Corduroy

92 of 98 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Expresses a mother's love perfectly November 24, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Board book

My mom bought this for me as a gift after my first son was born. I had to go back to work when he was 3 months old. She gave it to me one weekend and I sat and read it and just started crying. It was when I read that last line--I love you all the way to the moon and back--that really touched me. It made me realize how much I was missing my baby boy during the day. I also noticed that Big Nutbrown Hare waits until the little one is asleep to say the last line. That also reflects how much a parent loves a child. He would never want to outdo his baby just because he's bigger. He let Little Nutbrown Hare go to sleep thinking he won that little game. What a sweet, sweet story.

64 of 71 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Guess How Much I Love You! May 5, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This is my daughter and my favorite book. She is 31/2yrs. old and we enjoy reading it every night before she goes to bed. I started to read it to her a year and a half ago when she was two years old, and now she can read it to me. It has created a special bond between us. It has to be the last book we read so she can dream about hares and her mommy and how much we love each other. We often play a game about guessing how much we love each other. She will jump as high as she can or spread her sweet little arms out as wide as they will go. I just want to thank Sam McBratney for touching our lives in such a special way. Also, I would like to thank him for the wonderful memories he has provided for me and my daughter. I know I will remember it forever, I hope my daughter does as well. Thank you Sam.

45 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Appealing on many levels-a great book for toddlers. March 3, 2002

By David J. Gannon

Format:Board book

There is a lot to like about this book. First of all, it has a very positive love message for fathers and sons, not all that common a theme in children's books. Secondly, the sort of "one-ups-man-ship" theme is on that naturally appeals to kids that age. The story itself is sweet without being cloying, and the illustrations are first rate.

A great book for older pre-schoolers. As has been noted in many previous reviews, reading the book seems to stimulate a "how much do you love me" game with the kids and parents who read the book a lot. Given that the desire to be loved is one key need at this age group, a book that stimulates you to talk and play with your child in a way that distinctly communicates your love for him/her has got to be a good thing.

This is one of those books your kid's will grow out of before you do-much to your sorrow.

I highly recommend it.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not competetive May 24, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This is a sweet, loving introduction to a familiar game that many parents have played with their child. I can't see it as being about competition. Perhaps some of the negative reviewers never played the game of "Guess how much I love you". But it was a natural part of childhood for my children. It wasn't about competition, it was about creativiity--thinking of ways of expressing love bigger than ever before. I wouldn't dream of trying to "oneup" my children. I just liked the silly answers we would come up with in playing.

To all the naysayers, the last line of the book is ALL about letting the child "win". The father waits until the child is asleep in the assurance he has come up with the unbeatable answer, "I Love you all the way to the moon!" But as he sleeps and the father looks at this bundle of miracle that has been bestowed upon him he says what he feels, "I love you all the way to the moon, and back". The child doesn't hear this. The father is just expressing a love he can't even define it's so big. That's not competetive or mean spirited, it's a wonderfully realistic portrayal of having a feeling of love so big that you know there is nothing bigger.

The pictures are great. I wouldn't go board book. This book is better for older children.

Buy it and enjoy it.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very sweet book about love September 11, 2009

By M Diaz

Format:Hardcover

I think this book is so sweet about how much a father loves his son. I am amazed at the two one-star reviews, I mean, how cynical can you get? So what if the father declares a greater love for his son (the bunny is sleeping at the time, if that makes you feel better)? It is actual very natural. As for the author's use of "sophisticated words", what word gave you trouble, thornbush or nutbrown?

133 of 164 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars And did I mention the lovely illustrations? November 18, 2005

By My Uncle Stu VINE™ VOICE

Format:Board book

I was initially introduced to this book before I had kids of my own. I hope my brother doesn't mind me telling this story. He had a nightmarish travel day with his son, including cancelled flights, stuck in the airport, I believe my nephew was about one year old at the time, he had puked, and they had no change of clothes for him. Very frustrating. He bought this book and read it to his son and found himself moved to tears by the end, the chaos of the day suddenly put into perspective.

I bought this book after my first daughter was born. It hasn't made it into her top ten list, maybe because we are not a father and son, or maybe because we didn't read it in the context of a massive catharsis. But she likes it, and I like it. It illustrates the idea that a parent's love for their child is the greatest love one can feel, a feeling that can only be experienced by having kids (although it can be approximated by having medium-haired blue tabbies). No matter how much your baby loves you, you love your baby more, and they won't understand until they have a baby of their own.

A minor concern: The characters are Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare. For those of us with mild dyslexia, it is too easy to refer to them as Little Brown Nut-Hair and Big Brown Nut-Hair, which is very different and considerably changes the tone of the story. I accept that this may be my personal problem, and I don't even believe it is appropriate to share it in in this format.

Oh, and did I mention the lovely illustrations? As always, buy this book, thank you for listening, and goodbye.