The recent passing of Sam McBratney reminded me of tender, deep memories of reading his best-selling book. It seems like just yesterday we were reading this book, but it’s been a surprisingly long time. It was a gift to us when we had our first child, and was read many, many times.
We didn’t have many books at the earlier stages of parenthood, so this one was in heavy rotation. We often changed the names of the characters to coincide with who was reading at the time, and who was being read to. There was always a jesting protest from another room, as to which parent bunny loved the little bunny more.
All too quickly, our libraries fill with stories of action and suspense. There will always be a place on our shelf for this little board book neither our children nor their parents can part with. So, spend as much time as you can reading loving books, like this one with the famous phrase proclaiming immeasurable love.
In Guess How Much I Love You, author Sam McBratney expands on parent-child interaction, creating imagery both parties will relate to and cherish.
It’s time for Little Nutbrown Hare to go bed, and he wants to express his love for his father. He soon realizes his father’s capacity for love is larger than his, and he enjoys the challenge of trying to outdo him. After some boisterous one-upping, Little Nutbrown Hare becomes tired and falls asleep. While watching his little one sleep, the father gets the last word, professing a depth of love only a parent can understand.
The playful cadence and touching progression of this story emphasize what is so valuable in raising little ones. It starts a conversation about love and relationship in an approachable way, and allows the child to rest in the security of being purely loved.