Love You Forever (Paperback)

~ (Author), Sheila McGraw (Illustrator) "A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The mother sings to her sleeping baby: "I'll love you forever / I'll love you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." She still sings the same song when her baby has turned into a fractious 2-year-old, a slovenly 9-year-old, and then a raucous teen. So far so ordinary--but this is one persistent lady. When her son grows up and leaves home, she takes to driving across town with a ladder on the car roof, climbing through her grown son's window, and rocking the sleeping man in the same way. Then, inevitably, the day comes when she's too old and sick to hold him, and the roles are at last reversed. Each stage is illustrated by one of Sheila McGraw's comic and yet poignant pastels. (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

A humorous, sentimental page-turner that rarely - let's say never -- leaves a reader with a dry eye. -- Gayle MacDonald, Globe and Mail 12/01/2005

My children and I enjoyed it, night after night, for years... A charmer. The simple story touches the heart. -- Jeith L. Runyon, Louisville Courier-Journal 11/13/2005

No one can read this without the tears falling. -- Sharon Owen, Madera Tribune 05/08/2003

Teachers recommend top children's books: Last year, NEA (National Education Association) published a list of the top 100 favorite children's books, as voted upon by NEA members: [At number 6, in the top ten children's books] "Love You Forever" by Robert N. Munsch (4-8 years). -- reported in "Reading Today" [International Reading Association], Feb/March 2000

The best of Munsch's many storybooks. -- Leanne Dohy, Calgary Herald 09/25/2003

The one book that has the most meaning to me. -- David Maloof, Boston Globe 09/15/2002

The starting point for a first-rate library for your grandchildren... a tender ode to the life cycle of a family. -- John Lownsbrough, Outlook Magazine 06/2004

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd. (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0920668372
• ISBN-13: 978-0920668375
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (886 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,078 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #12 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Parents > Fiction
  #16 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Situations > Emotions & Feelings > Fiction
  #45 in	Books > Children's Books > Early Reader Series

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ----- HUMOROUS and MOWING -----, December 5, 2007

A Kid's Review

'Love You Forever' is perhaps the most touching book I have ever read. The story is warm, humorous and quite moving. The illustrations are beautiful and add to the depth of the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone. Be warned that it will bring tears to your eyes and a lump to your throat as you read it for the first time. At other times it will make you roll over laughing... The illustrations are delightful. Anyone will feel that this story is about them. My other recommendation is a series of three books titled Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2

50 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving Story about Loving Your Child, December 14, 1999

By A Customer

This is a fantastic picture book that is a metaphor for the overwhelming love one feels for their child (no matter what age). For all of those readers who can only read in co-dependent, Oedipal, or Freudian themes into this book, you have missed the entire point and have hearts of stone! The fact is that the author Robert Munsch wrote this book as a tribute to his TWO still-born children and that makes this story even more moving especially if you've lost a child or had a miscarriage. The story is an expression of imagining his kids and what they would have been like and how much he would have loved them their whole lives. I found this to be a very emotional and touching story (and I am not a sentimental woman at all). My 3-year-old, rough and tumble, only-loves-the-outside-and-trucks kind of boy really likes this story and has been requesting it for bedtime almost every night. He especially enjoys the verse that is the theme of the book, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as you're living, my baby you'll be." My son wants to hear us say that to him. And again to all those who wrote and thought that this book was "sick"; face it, you might not have liked how this book was portrayed, but you'll love your kids forever, no matter how old they'll get, and in spite of what they will do throughout the phases of their lives that might frustrate you. In fact, my husband likes this story so much that he plans to get it for his mother for Mother's Day. This is a must-have children's book!

178 of 214 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful, Touching Parable, February 3, 2001

By	Mark Jones (Watkinsville, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This little classic is readily and easily digested by one who has known the true love of a mother. My mother gave me this book during the first Christmas with my new baby daughter in 1992. I had no idea that within the year, my father would be gone, and I would begin to give tender care to my precious little mother who would begin "getting very sick" much like the mother in the book. I cried a bucket of tears as I read it aloud with my wife, mother and father for the very first time. When my mom passed on, it was a tender and precious time at her bedside, and very reminiscent of this tender little book.

Today, my two girls go for it regularly on my shelf at bedtime. They tease me because I can't get through it without crying. Funny to me that they have a very good grasp of allegory and they, unlike some of the book's critics, understand that the scenes with the mother coming to the man's apartment are actually his memories of her love. They understand, as I explain to them that the love poured into the son by his mother, has taught him how to love his new baby daughter at the end.

Love begets love, and this little childrens' parable is a powerful reminder! I highly recommend _Love You Forever_ to anyone who enjoyed a wonderful love with their mother. To others, I'm sorry but you simply won't (and obviously don't) understand. It's not written for you.