Review - Love You Forever

Love You Forever
by Robert Munsch
illustrated by Sheila McGraw
Date: 1986
Publisher: Firefly Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

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.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I've recently read some less-than-favourable reviews of this book. I know I read it years ago (and I've listened to Munsch tell the story, too, because I have his voice in my head singing the song; funny that I can't remember where I heard it, but it can easily still become an earworm!) but it's been a while so I thought I'd check it out again. What better day than Mother's Day to read a book like this?

It's actually very sweet. Some of the complaints that I've seen are that it's not funny, or that it's silly and creepy. The problem may be that, unlike many of Munsch's books, this one isn't supposed to be funny. Expectations may have coloured people's reactions to this one. It was apparently written in response to his wife's multiple stillbirths. When viewed in that light, it makes much more sense.

I agree that some of the pictures make the text seem creepier than it needs to be. There's one of the mother peeking up over the side of her child's bed with wide eyes that's laughably squirm-inducing. That's not really Munsch's fault, though. The actual story is very, very sweet. It's about love, especially the kind a parent has for their child. It's about how that love continues on from generation to generation. It's also about how you're never too old to be loved and comforted.

I quite enjoyed this one, and I can see why it's a classic. It's too bad about some of the pictures, because they're probably turning a few people off. But I can't really see anyone changing them at this point, as Love You Forever in its current form is pretty recognizable.

Quotable moment:

A mother held her new baby and
very slowly rocked him back and forth,
back and forth, back and forth.
And while she held him, she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5