Book reviews are subjective because our feelings about a book are very personal. Two people can read the exact same book. One will love it. The other totally dislike it.
Will a book review influence either to change their opinion? Probably not. Some readers ignore reviews altogether. Still book reviews are important and worth taking the time to write, if not for yourself, for the author.
That’s why I’m sharing my review of Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch. I love this picture book. It’s well written and beautifully illustrated. It’s not a new book. The original publication date is 1986, but it has a timeless theme – love. My favorite topic for February blogs.
The story begins with a mother holding her newborn and softly singing:
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.
The little boy grows and he does all the things little boys do. (Check out the cover if you can’t remember what little boys can do.)
He drives her crazy, she wants to sell him to the zoo, but at night, she rocks him and sings the song – even when he is way too big and too old to be rocked.
Then life happens. He moves out. The mother gets older and older. The words of the song change:
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living my Mommy you’ll be.
That’s not the end of the story. I won’t give away what happens next except to say that Love You Forever crosses all generations.
The story and its message of enduring love have an extra-special place in my heart because my son gave the book to me years ago when he was in one of those drive me crazy stages of our relationship.
I’ll always cherish my copy. And him.
If you’re looking for a perfect gift this Valentine’s Day, consider Love You Forever.
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