This book has become a favorite among many and my family is of no exception. I remember reading the book before I had children... Even then, it touched my heart. I forgot about this book until the first death of a family member occurred after my eldest daughter was born. It was then that I purchased this book and it has been read several times since. It is one of the books that I really enjoy reading with my daughters and we can even "read" it without the book. We have it memorized by the amount of times it has been read!!!

The book, written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Sheila McGraw, is about a boy. From his birth, the mother holds and rocks him, singing to him:

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

The book follows the boys different stages of development, from infancy to the "terrible two's." It follows him at the age of nine and teenage years and the defiance those ages bring. We see the boy grow into a man and leave home. All the while, the mother is aging as well. Something that is brought to your attention at the end of the book when the mother grows ill.

Loving:
This book promotes and expresses the love a mother feels for her child. No matter what this child does, the mother proves her love by always being there to sing him her song. This book encouraged communication between me and my daughters about the love I share for them.

Death:
The book deals with death. It is done in such a way that it is an option whether or not to go into it with your child. The book leaves this open for personal decision. Most children will probably not pick up on the mother's death if you do not point it out to them. Because this is in the book, I find it that much more beneficial. Death is a reality of life. Sadly, my daughters have seen loved ones pass on and this book is one way of dealing with that issue. It surely opens the doors of communication about death.

The Circle Of Life:
Through this book, your children will see this child grow ... just as they will grow. I have a feeling your child will grow just as fast as the one in this book as well. You will see this boy go from being a baby to having a baby.

Repetitive:
This is an asset to any book, in my opinion. This book is extremely repetitive in more ways than one. By repeating the song being sung and the flowing of the book, your children will catch on quickly and be "reading" the book with you in no time!

Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are likable depending on personal choice. They are acceptable by my means, and I believe can be seen as a 'pro' showing children that everything doesn't have to be perfect... But the book's illustrations are the number one complaint I hear from others who do not like this book. It is true, the cat looks like a rat...But, the illustrations do not take away from this book in my opinion.

The whole window fiasco:
Number two reason I hear for people not liking this book deals with a portion of this book after the boy has left home as an adult. The mother drives across town, ladder in tow and crawls through the son's window. Now, I feel this is a bit strange myself. But, like the illustrations it does not "take away" from the book. It does enhance the repetitiveness of the mother rocking and singing to her son, even when he is in his own home.

In Conclusion:
If this editorial makes you interested, (if you don't have it already) look into the book. Read it before reading it to your children. Decide how you feel for yourself. Many people simply adore this book...and other's hate it. For this reason, I would avoid reading it to other people's children unless you have discussed it with them first.

Thank you for taking the time to read my contribution to this write off.
ISBN: 0-920668-37-2


Write Off Info:
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Recommended: Yes