I am patiently waiting for Henry to enter deep baby sleep so I can hop on the indoor bike trainer and get my workout in. Until then, I shall creep him out by reading him Love You Forever.
One of the best things about being a mom is getting to read kids’ books (and, down the line, watch kid movies) because, let’s face it, kids’ books are awesome. A friend gave me Love You Forever for Henry’s library collection; I had never read it before but it’s a lovely tale about a mom who sings a sweet song to her little baby.. then to her little boy… then to her teenager.. and then to her grown man. I’m sure kids all over love this nice little tale of enduring and unconditional love.
… But if you are looking at the illustrations with adult eyes, you end up feeling totally skeeved out.
THE MOM CRAWLS INTO HER TEENAGE SON’S BEDROOM AND STARES AT HIM WHILE HE SLEEPS.
And she eventually breaks into his house, climbs into his window via a ladder, and sings her adult son a lullaby – while he’s asleep. I kid you not.
I think the words you’re looking for are ‘enmeshed’ and ‘codependent.’
All joking aside, every time I read this book to Henry, I sob hysterically. And while writing this post, I checked out the author’s biography, and he seems like a really cool (and non-creepy) dude. Other kids’ books that I find to be scary: James and the Giant Peach (his parents die and his aunts beat him… within the first two pages) and The Velveteen Rabbit (the little boy’s toys are actually alive but get tossed into a huge bonfire – holy crap).
Oh – hey. Henry is awake. A nightmare about scary codependent mommies probably woke him up…
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{ 106 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, I’m not creepy either- but I have teenagers, and though I don’t crawl in, I do sometimes stand in their rooms at times and watch them sleep in awe of where years have gone and how quickly it has happened. Just sayin’.
hhaha yes but would you break into their houses?!
NOOOOOO- but it captures a certain emotion. I agree that it’s kooky- but as my boys get older and older, I understand the flashing moments of desperate desire to turn back the clock (at most moments, I’m perfectly happy to enjoy their company out to dinner and enlist their help with housework!) I’m not creepy– right?!?
Ahhahahaha too funny. Whenever I hear this book I think of the Friend’s episode where Joey gives Emma a reading of the book for her first birthday and everyone gets all emotional.
I always get weepy at that book! But I do think the crawling up the ladder thing takes it a little too far…And how does a 60ish year old women even crawl up a ladder. In what appears to be a skirt no less! A few dots don’t exactly connect at that point
But the end is really so sweet!
This post cracked me up!! That is like a prequel for “Monster-in-Law”…
Joking aside, my parents used to read us that book when we were little. I never thought about the creepy pictures until now! Their copy got lost in one of our moves, so a few years ago I ordered a nice hard-bound copy. Wrote a little note inside. Gave it to them for Christmas. They cried. I guess they didn’t notice how creepy the pictures were, either!
Robert Munsch’s books are amazing. You should definitely get some more of them. Except for the one about the wind, that one is terrifying. But his stories are some of my favorite childhood memories. My mom read them to us, teachers read them to us, they were everywhere. I’m actually surprised you didn’t already know about him. Maybe he’s just bigger in Canada. They even used to play cartoon versions on TV every now and then when I was younger.
Haha it must be a Canadian thing. I was shocked when Caitlin wrote she had never read that book before!
I’m Canadian too and when I was a kid i loved his books. He was a big deal..lol. The Paper Bag Princess is my favourite.
I think Robert Munsch is a Canadian thing. He did write Thomas’ Snowsuit after all, hahaha. He came to read at my elementary school’s library one year. It was pretty cool. I remember some of us had a chance to talk to him and I told him about the time I painted my father’s white car black. (I was 2 or 3 at the time.) Love You Forever is definitely a children’s book that makes you cry–creepy pics or not.
Paper Bag Princess was definitely one of my favorites! We had a healthly collection of these books, and they were all a bit goofy but the best.
I moved from Canada down to North Carolina when I was 5 and Munsch is definitely more of a Canadian thing. However, it his books are gaining a bit of popularity. Hallmark has picked up I Love You Forever as a recordable book and B&N will occasionally carry a few of his others.
Caitlin- try Mortimer it’s fun to read out loud
Robert Munsch books are great! He is a Canadian author (Was born in US though…now Canadian citizen ) and that may be why the books are bigger here?? Paper Bag Princess was one of my favourite stories as a kid!
I had him sign Love You Forever, when I was newly pregnant to our baby. My hubby pointed out the how creepy the book is when you think of the Mom driving across town with a ladder to climb through his window and rock him back and forth, back and forth…and asked how I would like it if his mom did that! He kind of ruined the book for me! lol
I still like it, and can’t seem to read it without crying either!
Look at the cat trying to escape out the window! Even it knows that the mom is batshit crazy!!!
She probably brought the cat with her because we all know creepy old ladies who sneak into their sons homes have cats.
Ha, yes I couldn’t agree more. I used to read this book in my nursery school classroom, and I always thought it got creepy as it went along. Couldn’t she just call him or send him a letter now that he’s an adult in his own home?!
My mom read this to me a million times when I was young. I was old enough to understand how sweet (and sad) it was. I actually read it out loud in one of my English class presentations and I remember feeling really random, like no one else “got it” like I did. Ha!
HA! This has me cracking up. I always cry at the end of that book too. =) HA!
My children are 14, 12 and 7.
Creepy, yes, but I still love to watch them sleep. I think I love them more when they can’t talk back.
Oh gosh, that is creepy! The bowl full of mush in “Goodnight Moon” always kind of freaked me out as a kid… I don’t know why.
Hahahahahaaaaa omg. I read this to my son EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Goodnight nobody, goodnight mush.
WHAT?!
I couldn’t get through this book the first time I read it to my 3 month old — I was crying too hard!
My very favorite teacher used to read that book to us! It definitely is kinda creepy, but totally endearing too
Now that my son is 7, I totally get it.
LOL my mom did not allow me to read fairy tales/kids’ stories when I was little because she thought they were cruel and horrifying and scary! To this day, I’m pretty clueless about kids’ tales.
My mom used to read this to me and my sister when we were little. I have always just thought it was such a sweet book, and hadn’t ever thought about how it might be a little creepy. Oh well, I don’t think that was the intention, and it is sob worthy either way. I will be reading it to my kids someday too.
I hadn’t heard of that book either until I had my daughter & got it for a gift. It quickly became one of my faves. Used to make me all teary, too.
You are so right about kids books. LOVED so many of them! Dr. Suess was always a fave. When Henry is a little older, you have to try some of the collections of poems by Jack Prelutsky. He has published several, & they are all great! Very silly & fun!
I LOVE that story. I will admit to checking in on my boys throughout the years and watching them sleep. The time goes so fast and when they sleep, even when they are rotten it just melts my heart how sweet they look.
I love Robert Munsch! I am a 34 year old woman now but I was one of the fortunate ones whom got a visit at school while i was in grade 2.. I can still hear his voice when i read the very same stories to my own children. This particular book is creepy but tells the story of unconditional love a parent has nicely… BTW, his other books are just as good.. My favorite and now my 7 year old daughters favorite – Paperbag Princess… Just as an important moral for a young woman to know she can rescue herself
You and I must have been responding at the exact same time!
I LOVE Robert Munsch books. Even though I don’t have children, I struggle reading Love You Forever. My sister had purchased it up while waiting for her husband to pick her up from work one day. When he arrived, she was bawling and a total wreck. He thought she’d lost her job! If you analyze it, the book can be creepy but it’s the love between a mother and child that makes it so special. I’ve heard Munsch read his books and you won’t cry when he you hear him. He reads it in a funny way and the kids in the audience recite along with him – that helps a lot to avoid the tears! Elizabeth from the Paperbag Princess is an awesome character and role model for young women. She makes for a great Halloween costume too!
lol I’ve seen that book, sooooo creepy.
My mother-in-law reads this book to my daughter all the time, and she can barely finish it each time because she gets so emotional! She made up a song to go with the one the mom sings to her son, and my daughter loves it. It’s actually a very sweet story
My mom read it to my brother (and I suppose me) and we’re in our 30s. It is a classic and it still makes my mom sob uncontrollably. When my brother had a baby boy, she gave my sister-in-law the book. I suppose it is creepy if you take it literally.
Note: This is only the beginning. Soon you will be like my friends and discussing the status of relationships between PBS Sprout characters. Prepare yourself.
I loved that book as a kid – still do. The author reads some of his stories on tape and I have vivid memories of listening to them. http://robertmunsch.com/book/love-you-forever#
The song she sings her little boy is forever burned in my brain with the melody Robert Munsch sings.
My mother-in-law made me read this book! She knows I cry at the drop of a hat and I think she just wanted to see me cry!
PS I sobbed like a baby without kids, I don’t even know what I would do if i had one!!
Not gonna lie. This book disturbs me. And yet, by the last page… I’m also sobbing.
Aww I loved that book! It was one of my first, I think, and Good Night Moon was another fave. I was big into reading as a kid (or having books read to me) so my bookshelves were packed. I was also a fan of the Bernstein Bears (as I got older) and Robert Munsch’s other (less teary!) books.
As an early childhood educator, I must say that is not my favorite book.
I have always thought it to be very wierd. They are many, many more very good books!! 
Team Caitlin. That book is freaking creepy.
Guess How Much I Love You and I Love You Through and Through are equally good books with a less creepy vibe.
Yeah, I just put that book in the “give away” pile. Too creepy for me (and my kids!).
what. the. heck! haha!
I just have to say that you had me laughing at this post. I read this book to my little boy’s and love it. But, when you think about it…..kinda a little creepy at the same time. haha. Anyways, I love your style of writing, great blog. Glad I stumbled upon it!
I can’t stand this book either! Even my three year old asked why in the world a grown up would be on his mom’s lap. Ha!
I’m pretty sure I’ve read every Robert Munsch book a million times. David’s Father and The Paperbag Princess were my favourites.
He was an awesome children’s author.
I have. 11 week old and I have to say the children’s books are always interesting. I am always like..that’s it? It’s over? They are so short and sort of pointless. Although I do have one written by Jamie Lee Curtis that is very cute about different moods. Oh the joys of motherhood.
I never thought about that book being creepy, but you’re totally right! Very sweet, but creepy.
And I also cried when I read it every. single. time.
My friends and I always laugh at how creepy the illustrations are!
I can’t believe no one commented (or maybe they did and I missed it!) on Joey reading “I’ll love you forever” to Rachel and Ross’s baby on Friends when he forgets to get her a present.
I also had the book as a child…I don’t remember it being creepy…just sad at the end!
on the night you were born makes me cry sooo hard. such a good one.
Robert Munsch is well respected in Canada as a children’s author. His books remain to this day very popular, including Love you Forever, Paper Bag Princess, Mortimer, Davids Father and the Mud Puddle just to name a very select few.
Most Canadians grew up reading the wonderful world of Munsch.
Paper Bag Princess is AMAZING!!! I can’t believe I forgot that one in my list of favorite Munsch books.
We have had a debate at work about “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein and how it is not a sweet tale of love and giving, but about a rotten boy who is incredibly selfish…and yes, I love the sentiment behind “love you forever” but it is a bit creepy!
This book creeps me right the eff out!!!
I agree that Robert Munsch’s other books are hilarious and SO not like this one. When Henry is 4 he will LOVE Thomas’s Snowsuit and I Have To Go. Also Mortimer. They have potty humor and a cute repetition that 4 and 5 year olds REALLY love. But in a way that adults don’t get sick of reading the stories. He’s also a super nice dude. My Kindergarten class wrote him a letter and he sent a whole packet with pictures and a story with all of their names plugged in.
BAHAHA! never thought of that book that way before
When my daughter was little my husband told me to go grab a book for him to read to her. I got that one for him off the bookshelf (he had never read it). I came back into the room a few minutes later to him crying! He said it was the worst book he ever read haha! I love it. Another good one is Someday by Allison McGhee.
My mom used to read this book to me, my brother, and sisters! We still sing the lullaby awwww
We all own a copy as adults.
Cute.
Robert Munsch is pretty much one of the best modern children’s authors. And he’s Canadian to add extra points for that
I don’t think the book is at all creepy because as I’m sure you’ll figure out in your own time, the yearning to take care of your baby boy won’t stop once he reaches a certain age.
This is my first time commenting but I’ve been reading your blog for years! Just wanted to say that as a Canadian I grew uo with all the Robert Munsch books. They are amazing and were always my fav growing up. I have a 12 week old little girl and I plan to buy her the whole set!
i’m blown away that you’re unfamiliar with robert munsch books! total staple of my childhood. i know he’s canadian but i thought his books were equally popular outside of the great white north. so good!
I read this book to both of my children, multiple times! Best kids book ever!!!
Hahaha! I totally remember that book!
My mom would read to us constantly…except, NEVER this book. She was totally weirded out by it too…which in turn, left me with the daunting impression that I will never read it to my kids either. I mean, I get the point of it and all, but wow…totally skeevey.
One of the books I used to have as a kid that kind of creeped me out was Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Basket. The rabbit was really tall and skinny and walked upright – kind of like a human with a rabbit head. And I always loved Miss Nelson is Missing.
This was one of my favorite books that my mom read to my brother and I when we were growing up. I still have my copy and hope to pass it on to my kids as well
That book never fails to make me cry. It is just the sweetest story.
I had that book when I was little and I would read it over and over and over and over to myself… I loved it for some reason.
But the Velveteen Rabbit scared the CRAP out of me!
ah i remember that book! it was a favorite when i was little and my mom used to say she’d tear up every time she read it to us….
Reading this makes me want to write my own version of this book with those creepy pictures!
On a second thought, this would make a good SNL skit.
Before You Were Born always makes me tear up. It makes me relive the first time I saw my son-best moment of my life.
Ahhh thats such a good one! I can’t believe you didn’t read it as a kid. I definitely didn’t realize it’s creepiness while young tho haha, that is weird! I actually say to my dog all the time “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, for as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.” bc I’m crazy like that:)
I’m told that as a kid (maybe around age three or four) this book temporarily ruined my life. It wasn’t the mom-creeping-into-the-adult-son’s room issue or even the aging issue; true to the grammar nerd tendencies I’ve apparently had since before I could read, my problem evolved from the use of the conditional – the “as long as” was apparently very traumatic. Legend has it that I didn’t sleep for something like two weeks and then approached my mom and asked her if she would always be my mom. She thinks it was because of the “as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be” that’s repeated throughout the book, since I was used to her saying things like “as long as you clean up your toys, you can go outside and play”.
(My fiancé has always been a little bit appalled by that tale from my childhood. His mom read it to him and his sister apparently without incident, and he gets misty just thinking about it. His mom also still signs emails and cards with “love you forever” and while I clearly don’t have the attachment to the book that he does, that is awfully adorable, isn’t it?)
I 100% echo the Robert Munsch praise! “The Paper Bag Princess” is one of my favourites and I think you’d love it. My family also had these epic cassette tapes of Munsch reading some of the stories and would play them during car trips to great effect!
Love Munsch! My 7 year old’s current fav is “More Pies!”
I, too, rec’d “Love you forever” as a gift after having my first child (17 years ago!), cried my eyes out & loved it ever since. All his other books are hilarious. Sadly, they are more popular in Canada than here in America. You will be able to find them at your local library. Henry will probably begin enjoying them around age 3. And you two will laugh and laugh and laugh . . . Enjoy!
Oh man, LOVE Robert Munsch!! My faves were I Have To Go and David’s Father. Both awesome. Love you forever was actually written for his stillborn baby, which definitely makes it less creepy and more sad.
Loooove Robert Munsch! But even better – is hearing Robert Munsch read his books. He is freakin’ brilliant to listen too – with all the voices and expressions. Love You Forever kinda falls into the same category as Oh The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss under standard new baby gift books. Give his other stuff a go – and if possible see if you can get them on CD or zip over to youtube for some videos or audio of him reading them. They all also have some sort of underlying story to them so Something Good – is about adoption. Which until someone told me – I was clueless about. Great storyteller.
OK seriously, I hate that book. So creepy!
I love James and the Giant peach! But I am with you on I’ll Love You Forever! I got rid of that book as soon as I could. It was totally creepy. I brought it to work and my colleagues agreed. I should now tell you that I,m a Public Defender and we spent an afternoon figuring all the charges that crazy son-stalking mother could wind up with.! I know it’s a really popular book but I can’t for the life of me figure out why once you see those illustrations!
I read this book once and that was it. Too many tears. I feel the same about Puff the Magic Dragon! I prefer happier stories!
I don’t think this book is creepy at all! I never thought of that co-dependent side of it… I seriously just think the author was just showing the unconditional, forever love that a mother feels for her son, and of course, that a son feels for his mother.
When I read this to my son for the first time I cried so hard throughout the book I literally had to take long pauses and compose myself. Luckily my son was like 3 months old and had no clue the crazy train I was riding! Now I can read it through but I still get choked up at the end. I love my little boy so much it just hits me!
My mom used to read that to me when I was little! I never thought about how potentially creepy it is before… but you’re totally right.
My mom read that book to us growing up. When she helped move me into college she snuck it in my bed for me to find when I went to sleep for the first time so far away (and because that’s how she is, it had an extra special note written inside from her). And then, later, I read it to my son. Hopefully, he will think about it with fond memories like I do.
The Velveteen Rabbit is one of the saddest books ever, but it is also one of my favorite books. My memories of it include my mom sobbing the entire time. Every time she read it to me.
And now I get teary just thinking about the book.
Me, too! I love the Velveteen Rabbit so hard! *
Robert Munsch is my two children’s favorite author!! We have almost all of his books. They are SO fun to read to preschool children. One of his books “Good families don’t” is about a fart. Yes a fart. Hilarious for children (ahem..and adults).
Caitlin,
I’m with you! Other books by Munsch are great, but this one is panned by children’s lit scholars. I’ve been to writing conferences where it’s held up as an example of how not to write a children’s book. That said, he sure has sold a lot of copies of this one.
I’m 25 years old and if I brought that book to her again she would bawl like a baby AGAIN. LOL I too am surprised that you have never heard of it.
Ha, I remember that book! I didn’t think about it that way when I was 6-7 but reviewing it now…yea, a little intense!
I went to read this story to a friend of mine from Trinidad one day who had never heard of it and started bawling. It was ridiculous. Seems to be a common theme among those who grew up with Robert Munsch. Paperbag Princess, The Mud Puddle, Good Families Don’t, Jonathan Cleaned Up – Then He Heard A Sound, and Thomas’ Snowsuit were always favourites. I think I may have owned every single book of his up until I was about 10-12.
He has admitted that he’s bipolar, obsessive compulsive, and a recovering addict. Some people have actually said that some of the books parallel his addiction stages. HOWEVER, his books are still freakin’ awesome and you’d really have to look into it to figure out how the stories pertain to stuff like that.
And I just realized he addresses that in his biography which makes him even cooler. Awesome.
One of my favorite children’s books that I read to my daughter. Always made me cry too. : ) Over the years, as we’ve donated or passed on her baby books to others, Love You Forever has remained a part of our permanent collection.
My absolute favorite book growing up was Where the Wild Things Are. I think I had my mom read it to me every night for a while. Then I saw the movie a few years ago when it came out and realized how creepy the concept is!! I think a lot of children’s books are very strange, but as kids we have such vivid imaginations that a “normal” story wouldn’t be appealing!
Considering I havent read the book since I was a young child but I do remember I absolutely loveloveloved that book. I remember my grandmother reading it to me, those are some of my last memories being with her so that book will always be very special to me. Hopefully I will be able to look past the “creepy”ness now as an adult.
I get teary just reading ABOUT this book…. and I don’t even have kids! I remember my mom used to cry every time she read it to us (which we teased her about then)
Also, The Paperbag Princess is my favorite book of all time! Look it up!
There was a buzzfeed ‘story’ I read not that long ago that sounds exactly like you’re review of this book!…
*your
very, very tired, my apologies.
Woah that is seriously creepy! but very funny. Which publisher read that and went “Yeah that’s a totally normal thing and a great idea for a story”?
James and The Giant Peach is amazing. All of Roald Dahl’s books are fabulous. I cannot wait to start reading them to my kids. Fantastic Mr Fox will be first.
Fantastic Mr Fox is amazing – have you seen the film? It’s absolutely brilliant. I’ve never laughed so hard and had so many children in the theatre wonder what all the adults are laughing at. They did a fabulous job of making it appeal across generations!
I’ve never read that book – I think its American? But the pictures are enough to put me off even if it is a tear-jerker!
I LOVE James and the Giant Peach – anything Roald Dahl is terrificly dark – I hope my potential future children love his work as much as I do. Some of his novels for adults are very dark too but hilarious as a general recommendation!
I think re-reading my favourite children’s books will be one of the best bits of parenthood
I’ll second “Someday.” Oh, my … the tears!!
How adorable…that’s the same book I bought for my son when he was a baby, and that baby will be 19 y/o next month…sigh! I also sobbed when I read it to him…as I am now as I type this…my son left for college yesterday, so reading this post was very emotional for me. Thank you for sharing what was a wonderful, loving memory for me.
Allana
Ha,ha…thank you for saying that this book sort of creeped you out! I always hear moms going on about this book, how sweet it is and how they read it every night. I have been thinking there was something cold hearted about me since I was creeped out by the book and just can’t read it to my kids. I do understand the point, but I was still creeped out by the illustrations
When I was in kindergarten, the parents came for an end of the year open house. Our teacher read this book and whenever it came to the lullaby, we sang it. Of course, they parents loved it! As strange as the pictures are, it’s a nice “picture” of how no matter what happens a parent loves her/his children…and even though they may not show it, the children love them back!
Aw one of my favorite kids books read to me while growing up by my Mom
My mom simply cannot read that book! We had two copies when we were little and it was ‘off limits’ for reading. Ha ha
That book is a classic! I have always loved it, and where I am from people usually end up with multiple copies as everyone gives it as part of a shower gift, lol!
I thought the exact same thing last time I read that book! So creepy but simultaneously hilarious!!
My daughter, who is now almost 4 years old, loves that book. Loves. Favorite one. Everytime I ask her to go pick out a book to read, she chooses this one. And every time, the last few pages choke me up so I either have to read it really slowly while focusing on not bawling or by speeding through it! The first time I read it, which was aloud to my daughter when she was a baby, I paused at the part where the mother gets old and sick and mouthed to my mother (who was visiting) “Wtf? In a children’s book?!”
Hahaha love this. I LOVE kids movies and will probably be the one making my kids watch them instead of vice versa…especially around the holidays!
Also, whats up with that mini-cat in the old-lady-holding-her-adult-son-photo?
I can’t believe you have the same book as us!!! Our friends in Texas sent it to us in the UK before our son Rowan was born, what a freaky story… I thought i was going to turn into a stalker of a mom when he’s older, climbing into his window when he is 35 and singing him to sleep, but i have been told by others this doesn’t happen in every day life – phew!!!