My Baby Book: Based on Guess How Much I Love You

Guess How Much I Love You

by Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram

Little readers can love the Nutbrown Hares from spring to summer to fall to winter--and back--with this gorgeous collection of four sweet stories.
Little Nutbrown Hare has lots of questions when growing things start to sprout in the spring--and wonders what he will turn into one day. By summer, he notices colors everywhere, but there's one that he's sure he likes best. The autumn wind inspires hiding and chasing--and a funny surprise for Big Nutbrown Hare. And when wintertime comes, playing "I Spy" games is especially fun in the snow. These simple, endearing tales starring two of the world's most beloved characters are perfect for sharing with little hares any time of year.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

The 1943 born Northern Ireland native started writing children's books when he was a teacher in his thirties, with the aim of helping out students who had trouble reading. But he continued writing for a more-personal reason: "the act of imagining simply makes me feel good," he says. The fifty-seventh book of Sam McBratney's career, and his first book with Candlewick Press, was the much-loved GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, which has sold an astonishing 15 million copies worldwide, and is available in 37 languages. "This is not the sort of thing you expect when most of your books have been remaindered," the author admits. "But, as the frog trapped in the milk discovered, if you keep going, sometimes you find yourself walking on cream cheese."

Where does Sam McBratney get his inspiration? "I told my children stories when they were young," he says, "so when I write I try to think of what they would have liked." But there may be another source guiding his writing as well. The author's father--who worked as a type compositor with the BELFAST TELEGRAPH, and whose favorite books were westerns--is the person Sam McBratney credits for giving him his love of the English language. "Most of my picture books--GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS, JUST ONE!, and JUST YOU AND ME--explore the relationship between a big one and a wee one," the author notes. "The big one is not called the father in the stories, but that's what he is. Although my dad died before I became a writer, the father in my stories has a voice and a presence that he would have recognized and understood."

In addition to authoring many books for children, Sam McBratney wrote radio plays for adults and a prize-winning collection of short stories. He received a degree in history and political science from Trinity College, Dublin, and worked for many years as a teacher.

Reviews

[Jean Oram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding a good quality, not-too-cheesy baby book can be tricky. I like this one because of it's colour, sturdy pages, illustrations, and fill-in-the-blanks. While some of the fill-in-the-blanks aren't my style (the pregnancy ones) it brings up cool stuff your kid will want to know when they are bigger. (Like how much a newspaper cost when they were born, etc.)

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the baby book I have for my baby. I love it! I think it is really cute! I bought him the board book of Guess How Much I Love You. I think the message is so well done, and so much fun to pass on to the kiddies. :)

[Anneke Dubash · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the loveliest children's books.... a classic.