Module 1: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

Summary: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch is about how the love of a mother never changes as a child grows older. The story begins with the mother expressing her undying love to her son as a new born baby while rocking him in her arms. She sings him a lullaby “I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be” every night while he is asleep. The boy at the age of terrible 2 is at the stage in his life where he is exploring, wrecking the house, and making his mother go crazy. The story continues to the age of 9 where he learns terrible words and recites them to her. Then the child becomes a teenager where he obtains bizarre interests, interesting friends, and funny clothing. Lastly, the son becomes an adult and moves away. The mother expresses that she is frustrated with him along his life but no matter what she always ends up singing to him at night while he is asleep. The story ends with the elderly mother being rocked by her son who sings her the lullaby since she is no longer able to pick him up anymore. The son continues the tradition of his mother and sings to his new baby girl the same lullaby.

Citation: Munsch, R.N. (2000). Love you forever. Buffalo, NY: Fireflybooks.
Impression: There was some controversy on this book between the mother and child. People were saying that the mother was a little too creepy and some of the context was taken literally. I don't think that there is anything literal about her love. I believe that it is all metaphorical for the purpose of the book. The mother is not really watching her little boy sleep all night. She doesn't sliter like a snake into his room to watch him either. The author is just projecting the mother's love to an extreme to demonstrate to the reader how great that love is. The boy understands it and passes it on to his child. I'm sure the next generation will do the same.

Reviews:

Amazon.com Review

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 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

The one book that has the most meaning to me. (David Maloof Boston Globe 20020915)

There is a powerful, age-old resonance to the story, centered on that intangible, steadfast bond between mother and child. (Shelley Fralic National Post 20060515)

No one can read this without the tears falling. (Sharon Owen Madera Tribune 20030508)

There are certain books about a parent's unconditional love for a child that are timeless--and this is one of them. (Baltimore's Child 20100120)

One of my all-time favorites... I dare anyone to read this story and not shed at least one tear. (Dana Lenetz Forbes 20100420)

A humorous, sentimental page-turner that rarely - let's say never -- leaves a reader with a dry eye. (Gayle MacDonald Globe and Mail 20061101)

 

Retrieved from Amazon.com

Suggestion: This book is great for story times because the librarian can tie in an overall theme of books that have to do with having a new baby, family, or growing up. I could choose for example You were loved before you were born by Eve Bunting and Karen Barbour for example to continue this theme and so on.