Anybody's child have the book "Love you Forever" by Robert Munsch

[disneychrista]

We had this book and my 16yo has asked for it for Christmas.

 

[DVCLiz]

OK, you can call me snooty all you want, but that won't make this a good book for children. It's smarmy and self-serving and meant to make Robert Munsch money. It doesn't meet any of the standard characteristics of a good book for children in the literary sense, and the writing and illustration are both poorly executed. I don't care how many peoplel love it and cherish it as a precious memory, it's still always going to be second-rate at best. That's my professional opinion as a Children's Librarian with an MLS and 17 years of experience.

Now, as a mom I say whatever floats your boat. No, each and every book doesn't have to be a medal winner. But when there are so many great choices out there, why waste time on the mediocre ones? If you are going to the trouble of putting aside time to snuggle with your child, choose a book, read it out loud, and have special time together, why are you choosing junk to do it with?

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

It gets kind of creepy at the end when Mom is stalking her grown son

MTE

 

[disneyjunkie]

OK, you can call me snooty all you want, but that won't make this a good book for children. It's smarmy and self-serving and meant to make Robert Munsch money. It doesn't meet any of the standard characteristics of a good book for children in the literary sense, and the writing and illustration are both poorly executed. I don't care how many peoplel love it and cherish it as a precious memory, it's still always going to be second-rate at best. That's my professional opinion as a Children's Librarian with an MLS and 17 years of experience.

Now, as a mom I say whatever floats your boat. No, each and every book doesn't have to be a medal winner. But when there are so many great choices out there, why waste time on the mediocre ones? If you are going to the trouble of putting aside time to snuggle with your child, choose a book, read it out loud, and have special time together, why are you choosing junk to do it with?

My goodness, it’s just a picture book.

My son was 2 when I started reading it to him.

He enjoyed the book just because.

He didn't care about the awards it may have won.
He didn't care about the quality of the art work.
He didn't care about how/why the mom was rocking her son.
He didn't care about the reviews.

He just enjoyed the book.

 

[DVCLiz]

My goodness, it’s just a picture book.

My son was 2 when I started reading it to him.

He enjoyed the book just because.

He didn't care about the awards it may have won.
He didn't care about the quality of the art work.
He didn't care about how/why the mom was rocking her son.
He didn't care about the reviews.

He just enjoyed the book.

And I'm happy he did, but that still doesn't make it a good book. It's a crappy book, and it always will be.

 

[bengalbelle]

I don't care for the book at all.

Our favorite Munsch book is Purple, Green and Yellow.

 

[ksjayhawks]

DS14 and I read that book every night for many, many years. It is a book I always give for shower/baby gifts.

 

[daisy2]

I was a Early childhood conference and the speaker brought out the book and read it. I unfortunantely had lost my grandfather a few days earlier and when the story was told by the speaker. I ended up bauling my eyes out. Another good book that is very good is called The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. It's about a baby raccoon who was scared to go to school and the mommy raccoon would kiss the baby raccoons hand and the baby racoon would feel his mommys love all the way to his heart and it would last until he got home to his mom. It's kind of mushy but it's one of my favorites. Thought I would share it with you. Sorry if I was to mushy!!!

 

[moppety]

Add me to the "icky icky creeped out" bunch.

Love "Goodnight Moon" though!

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I am a children's librarian, and that book makes me cry! I can't even flip through it anymore, as my eyes get wet. I was totally oblivious to the mom-stalking-the son thing; what I got from the book is that we will all grow old and die, and lose those we love. Not something I need to be reminded of in a kid's book.

I remember when I first saw the book, I thought it would be funny, as the cover has a baby playing with toilet paper. But noooo - this book made me bawl when I tried to read it to kids that I babysat. The other book that makes me bawl is called "Desser the best cat ever" - about a pet who grows old and dies. I just can't handle the "growing old and dying" issue at all, I guess!

 

[MosMom]

We love Munsch. He has a book called Moira's Birthday and my DD adores it since that is pretty much the only thing we've ever found with her name on it.

My MIL used to read I love you forever to all the grandkids all the time. She loves that book. When my SIL passed away, she wrote "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be" on a card and put it in her casket. :/

 

[ASFCurly]

If so many people, adults and kids alike enjoy it, it can't be quite as "crappy" as you think

I cry everytime I read it, and those of you who think it is creepy are thinking way to hard about a simple childrens book.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

If so many people, adults and kids alike enjoy it, it can't be quite as "crappy" as you think

I almost agreed with you, but then again shows like 2 1/2 Men are on the air for years, so there really is no accounting for taste.

I liked the book though. Obvious (and yes creepy) over exagerations at the end, but an enjoyable story and nice message none the less.

My kids very favorite books until dd recently became obsessed with laura Ingalls were all Robert Munsch. As a parent I loved the Paper Bag Princess (the princess doesn't need the guy to save her she can use her brain and save herself), and Stephanie's Ponytail (don't follow the pack). Those are probably "crappy" books too, but they made us all laugh and smile and shared a positive message. The only thing some of those award winning books have been good for are putting my kids to sleep.

 

[portia9]

OK, you can call me snooty all you want, but that won't make this a good book for children. It's smarmy and self-serving and meant to make Robert Munsch money. It doesn't meet any of the standard characteristics of a good book for children in the literary sense, and the writing and illustration are both poorly executed. I don't care how many peoplel love it and cherish it as a precious memory, it's still always going to be second-rate at best. That's my professional opinion as a Children's Librarian with an MLS and 17 years of experience.

Now, as a mom I say whatever floats your boat. No, each and every book doesn't have to be a medal winner. But when there are so many great choices out there, why waste time on the mediocre ones? If you are going to the trouble of putting aside time to snuggle with your child, choose a book, read it out loud, and have special time together, why are you choosing junk to do it with?

I am an avid reader and we would have hundreds of books here in my home. I am also passionate about good quality books, in particular for children. I read classics, literary fiction and mainstream fiction. I prefer to read good quality literature for myself and to my children but not everything has to be the best book ever written to be enjoyed and loved. I'm sure there are books I loved as a kid that were far from good literature but the love of reading has stayed with my always and I would rather people read their children "junk" (to use your word) and have them love books because they had favourites as a child, than not have had that connection with the joy of reading.

 

[talulabelle]

I thought I was alone!!!
That picture at the end of the book w/ the Mom creeping in her adult son's bedroom window and holding him on her lap EWWWW

I thought it was ick too. Starts out beautiful, quickly turns to awkward, then ICK , Then Ewwwwww.

However looking at it from a figurative standpoint (which is how I'm hoping the author intended) it rings true. Even when your child grows and leaves the home you still have the same protective love for them. But whenever I read this to a child, I didn't think they were old enough to grasp the figurative standpoint, and I thought it was weird.

 

[goofy's friends]

Count me in the "it's totally creepy" category. Never liked it.

 

[DVCLiz]

If so many people, adults and kids alike enjoy it, it can't be quite as "crappy" as you think

I cry everytime I read it, and those of you who think it is creepy are thinking way to hard about a simple childrens book.

Sure it can. Being popular has nothing to do with literary quality - that's my argument. Munsch has sold TWENTY MILLION copies of this book - but it's still, and will always be, crappy in terms of its literary merit.

I haven't seen anyone on this thread say anything about the impact this book has on their child alone. It's the PARENTS who are crying. Don't you think it's odd that a children's book seems to have so little effect on the actual child and makes the parents weeping wrecks??? Do you think that was an accident? That book is designed to touch an emotional chord in a parent, not to be a good book for children to read and love and feel a personal connection to, which is what a good children's book should do.

 

[Sir Ron]

You women and this book!!! My mom use to read this to us or at least to my younger brother. And then she would SAY it to us. I hate it LOL I told my mom I was putting burglar bars on my house to keep her out. hahaha

 

[Mkrop]

Sure it can. Being popular has nothing to do with literary quality - that's my argument. Munsch has sold TWENTY MILLION copies of this book - but it's still, and will always be, crappy in terms of its literary merit.

I haven't seen anyone on this thread say anything about the impact this book has on their child alone. It's the PARENTS who are crying. Don't you think it's odd that a children's book seems to have so little effect on the actual child and makes the parents weeping wrecks??? Do you think that was an accident? That book is designed to touch an emotional chord in a parent, not to be a good book for children to read and love and feel a personal connection to, which is what a good children's book should do.

My 10 year old loves this book, asked me to read it to his younger brother, can recite the passage, and even suggested I give it as a baby shower gift when I was in B&N getting a book for the wishing well. He mentioned this and Good Night Moon. Not many of his other books have had such an impact as this one. Maybe Green Eggs and Ham . Plus if he did not request it over and over again I wouldnt have read it. HE WANTED ME TO READ IT!

Sorry that you despise this book so much, to me reading is so much more than it being a literary masterpiece, not evey movie I watch has won an Oscar, not every book I read is on the NY Times list, not every TV show has won an Emmy. Some things are just fun, my son like this book therefore it is fun. DS4 not as excitied about this book so I dont read it as much, no biggie

 

[DVCLiz]

I almost agreed with you, but then again shows like 2 1/2 Men are on the air for years, so there really is no accounting for taste.

I liked the book though. Obvious (and yes creepy) over exagerations at the end, but an enjoyable story and nice message none the less.

My kids very favorite books until dd recently became obsessed with laura Ingalls were all Robert Munsch. As a parent I loved the Paper Bag Princess (the princess doesn't need the guy to save her she can use her brain and save herself), and Stephanie's Ponytail (don't follow the pack). Those are probably "crappy" books too, but they made us all laugh and smile and shared a positive message. The only thing some of those award winning books have been good for are putting my kids to sleep.

Well, there are thousands and thousands and thousands of great quality picture books for children, so if the award winning ones don't float your child's boat, there are others you can choose that will entertain and delight a child.

My point is that a parent should know the difference. My God, over on the toy recall thread I don't hear anyone saying, "Gee, not every toy has to be free of GHB chemicals." I don't ever hear a parent say, "She slept in my old Tshirts when she was a baby. Not every piece of clothing has to have that flame retardent on it." Nobody on the breastfeeding threads ever says, "Sure, go ahead and feed your baby that formula. Not every kind of infant food has to have an optimum balance of nutrients in it."

We as a proup of parents have been the most vocal generation ever in every other area of consumer goods we purchase for our children.Their food, their clothing, their toys, their products like strollers, etc. etc. We have consumer programs in place to help us tell quality from junk, and we enforce them for the betterment of the children they impact.

So why then aren't we willing to do the same for their books? Why aren't parents getting online and reading bookd reviews before they go to the bookstore? Why aren't they making friends with their Children's Librarian at school or the public library and saying, "Look, it's overwhelming for me. How do I make great choices for my kids? What do I look for?"

Why are parents willing to settle for crappy maudlin junk? Is it because it takes time to research the good stuff and learn to appreciate it?