Love You Forever
Love You Forever book cover

Love You Forever

Hardcover – Picture Book, September 1, 1995

Price
$13.46
Format
Hardcover
Pages
32
Publisher
Firefly Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0920668368
Dimensions
8 x 0.13 x 8 inches
Weight
9.3 ounces

Description

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 An extraordinarily different story by Robert Munsch is a gentle affirmation of the love a parent feels for their child--forever Sheila McGraw's soft and colorful pastels perfectly complement the sentiment of the book--one that will be read repeatedly for years ― Book Fairies Vancouver Published On: 2019-04-08An extraordinarily different story by Robert Munsch is a gentle affirmation of the love a parent feels for their child -- forever Sheila McGraw's soft and colorful pastels perfectly complement the sentiment of the book -- one that will be read repeatedly for years ― NutSpace Published On: 2019-03-28There's a reason why Love You Forever is still on the bestseller list 24 years after its release -- Darcy Matheson ― Daily Hive Published On: 2019-04-26There are certain books about a parent's unconditional love for a child that are timeless--and this is one of them ― Baltimore's Child Published On: 2010-01-20One of my all-time favorites I cry every time I read it [The book] is a beautiful script about parenthood, a poignant parable about life and death, a testimony to when the roles of child and parent become blurry The story reminds you that no matter how grown up you are, you're always someone's child; that no matter how "adult" you are, you're never too old to be loved by your parents It makes me appreciate even more how my mother still calls me and my brother (despite us being 32- and 22-years-old, respectively) by our childhood nicknames, Pussycat and Tchotchke (Yiddish for "knickknack") Pigeonholing this as a children's book is like saying "Romeo & Juliet" is merely a cautionary tale about drug abuse I dare anyone to read this story and not shed at least one tear by the end It's even more poignant when you learn that Munsch wrote the book as a memorial to two still-born children he and his wife had in 1979 and 1980 -- Dana Lenetz ― Forbes Published On: 2010-04-20The one book that has the most meaning to me -- David Maloof ― Boston Globe Published On: 2002-09-15There is a powerful, age-old resonance to the story, centered on that intangible, steadfast bond between mother and child -- Shelley Fralic ― National Post Published On: 2006-05-15No one can read this without the tears falling -- Sharon Owen ― Madera Tribune Published On: 2003-05-08The best of Munsch's many storybooks it'll give you a new song to sing and maybe a bit of perspective down the road -- Leanne Dohy ― Calgary Herald Published On: 2003-09-25Sentimental story that has long been a favorite gift at baby showers -- Karen T Bilton ― Bridgewater Courier News Published On: 2005-04-26A humorous, sentimental page-turner that rarely -- let's say never -- leaves a reader with a dry eye -- Gayle MacDonald ― Globe and Mail Published On: 2005-12-01My children and I enjoyed it, night after night, for years It is a charmer The simple story touches the heart -- Jeith L Runyon ― Louisville Courier-Journal Published On: 2005-11-13#5 on Instructor's "Teachers Pick the Top 50 Kids Books Ever", chosen by 200 teachers, authors, and children's literature experts ― Instructor Published On: 2006-11-01Robert Munsch's beloved tale is gentle affirmation of the love a parent feels for her child -- forever Nurtured by the unconditional love of his parent, a boy grows happily through the stages of childhood to become, in turn, a loving adult ― BookPage Published On: 2008-01-04This book is beyond emotional I dare any mother out there, or any child with an aging parent, to read this story and not have a lump in your throat Should definitely be apart of your child's book collection ― community cafelibri com Published On: 2010-07-01 Robert Munsch is the bestselling, widely celebrated author of more than 50 books for children Love You Forever is his internationally bestselling book with over 30 million copies sold He lives in Guelph, Ontario Sheila McGraw has illustrated six children's books, including the best-selling I Promise I'll Find You and has written children's and adult craft books Papier Mâché for Kids and Painting and Decorating Furniture Read more

Features & Highlights

  • A young woman holds her newborn sonAnd looks at him lovingly.
  • Softly she sings to him: "I'll love you forever I'll like you for always As long as I'm living My baby you'll be."
  • So begins the story that has touched the hearts of millions worldwide. Since publication in l986,
  • Love You Forever
  • has sold more than 15 million copies in paperback and the regular hardcover edition (as well as hundreds of thousands of copies in Spanish and French)

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(36.1K)
★★★★
25%
(15K)
★★★
15%
(9K)
★★
7%
(4.2K)
-7%
(-4207)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Still amazing after all these years

This book will forever hold a dear place in my heart. My mother started out reading it to me when I was very young, and as I learned to read we began reading it together. I'm not a very emotional person, but I am a momma's boy. This story is so sweet and touching that to this very day, me and my mom sign our holiday and birthday cards to eachother with "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my (baby/mommy) you'll be".

Fast forward 20 years and I now have a daughter of my own who just turned 1. I'm hoping to be able to share that same connection with her, and bought the book again since I couldn't find the copy I used to have. Just to see if it was still as amazing as I remembered it being, I immediately read through it when I received it. Again, I'm not a very emotional person usually...but about 3/4 of the way through the book my voice began to break and I had to take pauses to wipe my eyes. It's still amazing, and always will be.
261 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

One Star

This was a really wierd book.
196 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Touching...then creepy

This book started off touching, if a little strange. Once the child got into his teens and the mom was creeping into the room and rocking him and singing to him, it got slightly creepy. When the mom drove over to his house when he was an adult, where he slept in a twin bed by himself, put up a ladder and broke in through his window and picked him up while he slept and rocked him and sang...that was ultra creepy.

Adults might be able to pull the heartwarming message out of this story and kids might not quite understand the creepiness, but there are better stories to teach about unconditioanl love. Everyone is entitled to enjoy it if it resonates for them, but for me, it just feels silly and creepy. I would much prefer to read a book that both I and my children can enjoy.
128 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Creepy and overly sentimental

The book starts out sweet, but becomes very odd as the characters age. It has a geriatric mother climbing in the window of her adult son to rock him to sleep. The first time I read this book to my daughter I cried at the manipulative ending. This frightend my daughter so much that she never wanted to hear the book again. It's too weird and too sentimental. I accidentally picked up a halloween book by the same author that also had a very bizarre plot. I think he's a little off.
83 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

No. Just no.

Do not understand why this is so popular.
Could have been written better. The idea is nice yes mothers will always love their babies but did she have to drive across town to essentially break in and sneak into her grown son's house and crawl across the floor? So creepy! ×10000
66 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Love You Forever is a Great Book. 10 Stars!

I read this book so many times to my children when they were small, they loved it each time, as it showed them the stages of life in a poignant and beautiful manner. I never cried from this book, and neither did my children, although I did get choked up, with moist eyes. It also brought about more of a loving bond, that shows the circle of life, and how important unconditional love is between a parent and child.
I highly recommend reading this book to a your child. It will show how much love there is, and how it endures "forever."
62 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

and everyone was crying at the end of his beautiful performance.

I bought this book as a gift for the girl I nanny because Joey read for a "dramatic reading" for Emma's birthday in FRIENDS, and everyone was crying at the end of his beautiful performance... this book is weird! I did not end up giving it as a gift.
45 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

This book should have been called "I'll Stalk You Forever"

This book is so very very very creepy. What kind of parent drives a pickup with an extension ladder to break into her grown son's home in the middle of the night?
45 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Best Book Ever

I bought these because I have 4 nieces (very close to all) and a daughter all pregnant and these work for the "card" that goes with the shower gift. You sign the inside cover and add a special note. I got this book when the first of my 5 children was born. I - still to this day - cannot read it without crying (I'm tearing up right now.) Any mother will be able to relate to this story, if not now then when you experience your first post-toddler and beyond.
32 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Demented

I totally agree with the librarian who wrote about this book being a horror story. I think people are too caught up with the theme of a story of "tables turned" which is "as a young child is taken care of BY his/her parent, so must the parent eventually be taken care OF." However, an old "granny" as depicted in this book, is able to climb a ladder nightly to cradle her adult son - come one! get real here! In addition, the illustrations are totally out of proportion and give a sense of oddity to the whole story. One final warning, be careful who you give this book to. I gave it as a gift to my aging mother, who thought it was a nightmare! She didn't cry out of sentiment, but took offense and thought I was ready to spoon feed her and carry her up to her death bed!
30 people found this helpful