I worked in the children's section at Borders Books for about 15 years and sold many many copies of this book: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. I cringed a little bit every time I did. You either love this book or you hate it. I admit, I was a hater.

Today I found out the story BEHIND this book. From Robert Munsch's website


Love You Forever started as a song.

“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
as long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.” 

I made that up after my wife and I had two babies born dead. The song was my song to my dead babies. For a long time I had it in my head and I couldn’t even sing it because every time I tried to sing it I cried. It was very strange having a song in my head that I couldn’t sing.

For a long time it was just a song but one day, while telling stories at a big theatre at the University of Guelph, it occurred to me that I might be able to make a story around the song.

Out popped Love You Forever, pretty much the way it is in the book.

Knowing that, now I know I really will never be able to read this book again. But you can bet I will be squeezing my kids extra tight.

peace-
emily