Module 1 - Love You Forever
Summary
A mother holds
her baby son and sings softly.
“I’ll love you
forever
I’ll like you
for always
As long as I’m
living
My baby you’ll
be”
As the child
grows she continues to hold the son and sing even through every stage of life.
Then the mother becomes to old a frail to hold and rock her grown son so the
son starts holding and rocking the mother.
Reference of Book
Munsch,
R. (1986). Love you forever. Richmond Hill, ON, Canada. Firefly Books
Ltd.
Impressions
This is a very
cute book with great illustrations. This book is how a mother feels about her
child. The book shows the unconditional love even when the child grows up and
moves away. Young children might not understand the significance of the end of
the story when the child does the rocking and singing.
Professional
Review
This newest story by
Robert Munsch differs from those in his previous books by using a quieter and
more introspective approach. Munsch shows the love a mother has for her son
from the time of his birth to adulthood.
The words in
Munsch's stories are always simple, and this book is no exception. He has a
keen ear for words and sounds that appeal to children, catch their attention,
and can be exaggerated in the telling. In Love You Forever, Munsch uses
the words "crazy" and "zoo" to that effect. The use of the
word "crawl" is another example. Munsch has the mother crawl across
the floor to her son's bed to see if he is asleep. We laugh at the image, but
the use of these words adds an element of slapstick that conflicts with the
theme.
Munsch uses
the same sentence pattern throughout the story, using repetition of words to
accentuate each stage of development. Repetition of a song is also used. The
song is sung six times by the mother and twice by the son. Since no
accompaniment has been included, storytellers will be able to compose a tune
that will suit their own styles of storytelling. With the use of a song, Munsch
plays on the sentiments of his listeners to provoke a reaction that he will no
doubt receive. A good supply of Kleenex tissues will be needed.
In trying to
show the enduring nature of a parent's love and how that same love is
transmitted from generation to generation, Munsch has to show the child from
birth to adulthood. This time span causes problems. As the child grows older,
he is still being rocked at night by his mother when he is asleep. A situation
that becomes sillier as both mother and child grow older. Because much of the
story centres on the child when he is older, it is also apparent that this is
not a picture book for a younger audience, although the cover gives that
impression.
Perhaps this
story should not be in picture-book format. Some illustrations emphasize the
ridiculousness of the story. It is one thing to imagine a frail old mother
rocking her big, tall son, but another to see it illustrated. The illustrator
has also taken license. Once the son has moved away from home, the illustrator
shows an older woman climbing a ladder to the second floor of a house opening a
window, and, finally, rocking a grown man. This lacks credibility and, while
reminiscent of Munsch's previous books, does not fit here.
Love You
Forever
is sentimentality at its worst. This is not a children's story, but one that
will appeal to adults who have experienced a feeling of loss, as their children
grow older. Munsch should go back to what he does best.
Gagnon, A.
(1987). Book Review, CM Archive, A Reviewing Journal of Canadian Materials
for Young People. 15 (2) Retrieved
from http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/cmarchive/vol15no2/loveyouforever.html
If you would like a
book that can make you laugh and cry at the same time and share with your
children for years to come then you really should pick up a copy of “Love You
Forever” by Robert N. Munsch. As a mother sings a bedtime song to her sleeping
baby the book takes you through the different stages of that same baby growing
to adulthood and having their own baby.
I firmly believe
that any adult with children will appreciate the lighter side of “Love You
Forever” right along with the sentimental attachment mothers have to their
children no matter what. As a mother of four adult children and now six
grandchildren all of which are not currently nearby I think I went through a
half a box of Kleenex while reading this touching children’s book – I remember
when….
“Love You
Forever” was voted #6 on a list of 100 children’s books in 2000 by the National
Education Association and it’s not surprising as it’s hard to believe anyone
reading this simple story will not be touched. I think this book would be an
excellent gift for grandparents, Mothers Day or Father’s Day, or as a baby
shower gift.
Draper, F.
(2011) Review of Love You Forever by Robert
Munsch. Examiner.com. Retrieved August 30, 2015,
from http://www.examiner.com/article/review-of-love-you-forever-by-robert-munsch
Library Uses
This book
would be good for story time for a mom and child group. The children would love
the receptive text and the moms would love the emotions that the book
creates. This book could be read for mothers or father's day or at a nursing
home.
