No Matter What [Hardcover]

Debi Gliori (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

I’m grim and grumpy,” says Small to Large, “and I don’t think you love me at all.” But nothing could be further from the truth--and Large knows just how to reassure Small in this warm and tender story about a child’s biggest worry and a parent’s endless capacity for love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gliori (Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep) here explores anxiety about the limits of a parent's loveAespecially whether it can survive a bout of pint-size bad behavior. With a gentle, rhyming text and illustrations that exude a snuggly warmth, she offers a reassuring, though ultimately cloying answer. As bedtime nears, a cute little fox named Small who's feeling "grim and grumpy" (and whose parent, Large, is pictured chatting on the phone) acts out by upturning the living room. When Large asks what's wrong, Small begins interrogating Large (neither character's gender is specified): "If I were a grumpy grizzly bear, would you still love me? Would you still care?" "I'd always love you, no matter what," responds Large. As in books like Lisa McCourt's I Love You, Stinky Face, the child ups the ante with unpleasant scenarios: what if Small were some other ostensibly uncuddly creature, like a squishy bug or a crocodile? "No matter what" comes the answer againAand Gliori's warmly comic depictions of Large's abiding affections drive home the unconditionality of parental love. Unfortunately, Gliori pushes her point a bit too hard with a closing treacly analogy to the light of stars: "We may be close, we may be far,/ but our love still surrounds us.../ wherever we are." Still, few authors wear their hearts on their sleeves so effectively. Ages 2-6. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

PreSchool-Feeling grumpy, Small, a little fox, has a tantrum that turns the living room topsy-turvy, after which he questions Large about the resiliency and endurance of his parental love-"If I were a grumpy grizzly bear,/would you still love me?/Would you still care?" or "...if I turned into a squishy bug,/would you still love me and give me a hug?" Ever patient, Large reassures him that "I'd always love you,/no matter what...we may be close, we may be far,/but our love still surrounds us.../wherever we are." The charming watercolor illustrations show warm golds and browns with candlelight and fireside indoors and the cold, blue-and-gray night outside. The rhyming text and large, often double-page spreads make this book useful for story programs. There are many recognizable similarities in Small's world and that of a young child's-dinner in a high chair, bath time, bedtime stories, and favorite toys. Great for fans of Barbara Joosse's Mama, Do You Love Me? (Chronicle, 1991) or Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You (Candlewick, 1995).
Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (September 20, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152020616
• ISBN-13: 978-0152020613
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Foxes & Wolves

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must have, October 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: No Matter What (Hardcover)

Possibly the only children's book that has moved me to tears (well, for quite a long time!)- deeply reassuring for "older children" like me as well as younger readers. Beautifuly illustrated, and a bonus of visual "did you spot thems?" to keep adults entertained through a gadzillion repeat readings....

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful story, beautifully illustrated, October 2, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Matter What (Hardcover)

"No Matter What" has a very simple message, but one that every parent needs to reinforce to their children. That their love is unconditional. Debi Gliori's illustrations are warm, vibrant and beautiful. This book is a keeper, and a great gift item.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No Matter What..., May 7, 2007

By 

A. Snyder (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Matter What (Paperback)

I originally purchased this book through my son's Scholastic book order. When it got ruined we needed a replacement since it was one of his favorite books. The version we recieved is very different from the one available through the Scholastic market. The text isn't the same. The version i recieved through Amazon is great for a child who has lost a parent or loved one...but not for my purpose. The words changed from "What about when you're far away..." to "What about when you're dead and gone". We have since located the Scholastic version...but be aware of the differences when you purchase this book.