“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”
A sweet sentiment, right? In Robert Munsch’s “Love You Forever,” the message is on target, but the presentation is derailed by a creepy stalker mom.
It starts totally normal with a mother rocking her baby and singing this sweet song. The story goes on to describe the antics of a 2-year-old and how at night when he’s asleep the mother crawls across his bedroom floor and then picks him up and sings this song. Still seems sweet.
My only question at this point is why is she crawling? It’s just weird. If your kid is so sound asleep that you can lift him from his bed and sing a song to him without him waking up, the crawling is unnecessary.
And so the book continues … she’s still doing this when the boy is 10, a teenager and even an adult. Feeling ooged out yet? The really creepy part begins around 4:08 in the above video. The mother drives across town to her adult son’s home in the middle of the night with a ladder strapped to the top of her car. She then uses that ladder to climb into his second-floor bedroom (really?!) and proceeds to lift this grown man from his bed, cradle him and sing the song. Ewww! Wouldn’t a daytime visit be more appropriate?
Besides the breaking and entering issue and the awkwardness of cradling a grown man, I just want to add that the whole idea is ludicrous. I mean, my kid is 6, and I can barely pick him up. In a year, I won’t even try anymore.
Now the interesting thing is readers seem to fall into one of two camps on this book. They either think it is incredibly touching or through the roof creepy. I’ve made my feelings clear. And you?
Tags: children's book
creepy!
Ewwwwww – it’s even creepier with this enthusiastic reading!
Kristen, my sentiments exactly. Oog.
Yeah the idea is very sentimental and sweet but it was taken a bit far. Overall I definitely vote for creepy.
It does start out sweet but it definately gets creepy! WHen I read the title of your blog this was the first book that popped into my head!
I’ve always thought that was a weird book!! Very unsettling.
I have always disliked this book because of the creepiness factor! I am so glad I am not the only one!
Kristen,
Try some of Robert Munsch’s other works. You will find him to be hillarious. Kids (5-8)respond well to the craziness of his characters like Stephanie in Stephanie’s Ponytail and Thomas in Thomas’ Snowsuit.
I don’t know any background but he must have written Love You Forever when as an “empty nester”.
Ha, ha, Mandy! I knew the newsroom would appreciate the “enthusiastic” reading.
Okay, Melissa. Obviously, we’re not the only ones, and I’m glad for it. You know a few people have told me what a “great” book it is, BUT … I just can’t get on board.
Thanks, Dixie. I’ll have to check out his other books. We love funny at our house, so maybe his other stories will be more to our liking.
Hey, Nancy. Funny that you knew what book I was talking about just from the title!
I think this book like all other books are trying to make a point.This books point being to take care of your loved ones.I hope you read the end of the book when the son comforts his mother as she is dying.I wish that we could instill into all children the importance of taking care of your own loved ones. This is only a story as other childen’s books . Do you really think this is any stranger than Dr. Suess books
Kudos to Cathy…..makes me cry everytime!
Cathy, I also appreciate the point of the book and do think it is important to take care of your loved ones. Stranger than Dr. Seuss? No, but I think it’s hard to compare the two. Dr. Seuss books have whimsical creatures from fantastic places, and readers begin a Seuss book with the knowledge that they’re in for a strange ride. “Love You Forever” just wasn’t what I expected, but I realize it’s an important book to many families.
I’ve heard this from a few other people, too, Sharyn. The book that makes me cry every time is “Just in Case You Ever Wonder,” by Max Lucado.
This book was a favorite with both my sons because children like to think that they have someone who will watch over them and keep them safe. Don’t we all want that? Even old people who are sick and dying want to think their children will be there for them.
It’s sad to me that so many people find this book creepy. That’s very telling about our society.
Man,oh man…and to think this sonny boy must have had a WIFE asleep upstairs while sonny’s mom crept into that second story window –
I see some FIERCE mother-in-law issues going on here. Maybe it was a
blessing she finally passed on?
I know, Lily! I thought of the same thing. The mom creeping around the house can’t be good for the husband/wife relationship.