I Will Hold You 'til You Sleep [Hardcover]

Linda Zuckerman (Author), Jon J Muth (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006 | Age Level: 2 and up

A book that combines the spiritual (and artistic) appeal of Jon Muth's THE THREE QUESTIONS with the heartfelt emotion of LOVE YOU FOREVER.

Here is the rare book that not only expresses a parent's love for their child, but offers a hope for what that love will become. It begins with a wish at bedtime, as parents hold their children tight and hope their love will cradle them, safe and sound. It continues through the day their children have grown up, proud and strong, and can pass that love on to someone else. This is a book that goes beyond a parent's "I love you" to the generous wish that our children will make the world a better place.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The power and meaning of love is found in the simple, heartfelt promises that parents make to their children. That's the premise of this somewhat sentimental but visually impressive book. Using debut author Zuckerman's rather familiar lines as a jumping-off point ("I will hold you 'til you sleep/ Safe and warm within my arms/ Dreams of springtime's gentle breezes/ While my lullaby surrounds you"), Muth (Zen Shorts) imagines a journey of life's milestone moments, from birth to adulthood. A verse that begins, "I will kiss you when you fall," for instance, movingly covers a wide span of years that includes both a tumble the boy hero takes from his bike when he's a grade-schooler and also his first heartbreak as a teenager. Muth's rendering of the father comforting the jilted boy is emotionally astute. "When winter snows descend" inspires an image of the hero as a young man assisting and comforting his elderly mother. Muth graciously balances the weight of the scenes with an objective view, to keep this volume in the realm of the universal. All ages. (Oct.)
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From School Library Journal

PreS–A gentle, poetic text is illustrated in soft gouache-and-watercolor washes that depict scenes in the life of a boy from infancy, when his mother and father hold him close, to adulthood, when he is a parent himself. The words and pictures both extol the power of love and his parents' hopes that he will Grow and flourish.../Love and be loved throughout his years. Somewhat in the vein of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever (Firefly) and Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You (Candlewick, both 1995), this lovely book will find a home in most libraries.–Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books; 1 edition (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439434203
• ISBN-13: 978-0439434201
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars love it, February 16, 2007

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Will Hold You 'til You Sleep (Hardcover)

This is a love poem from parent to child. The poem lets the child know that the parent will always love them. No matter how old the child gets he will still be a child that is loved by his parents. There is a page where the parent is now a old lay and the son brings his children to visit. The illustrations show the grandchild gets the grandma's cane for her. This was my favorite part because my kids to this for MY grandmother each time we visit!

This captured what is in the heart of parents every where. Children grow up fast and we need to let them know how much they mean to us.

Yes It would make a great bed time story.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Book, Great Images, December 28, 2006

By 

char1077 (Petoskey, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Will Hold You 'til You Sleep (Hardcover)

I ran across this book while shelving at my bookstore. The cover caught my attention. The paintings are beautiful.

And while the words are simple, the promise they carry is amazing. And the way the child grows through book is subtle and entertaining to the reader, if not the child being read to.

Makes me wish I had kids to read it to.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To share with children of all ages, March 10, 2007

By 

Reading in the Rain (portland, oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Will Hold You 'Til You Sleep (Hardcover)

This lovely book, through its tender prose and wonderful illustrations, reminds us that love and respect are the most enduring legacy we can give our children. The timeless message: from infancy in the security of our parents' arms, to the time we must be strong for our elders, the child who is loved is able to return that gift, again and again.

I'll be sharing this book with friends of all ages for years to come.