Reviewed by Sarah Hofhine
Robert Munsch is a Canadian author from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
whose career in childcare led him to become an author when his boss ordered him
to publish all those stories he was telling the children. He now has 54
published books and travels extensively telling stories. These are my 3
favorite Munsch books:
Princess
Elizabeth is living the dream: royal castle, royal wardrobe, and royal fiancé
Prince Ronald – until one day a dragon ruins her castle and takes off with her
Prince. Wearing only a paper bag she sets off to find the dragon
and rescue Ronald.
This is my absolute favorite picture book of all time. As per usual with
Robert Munsch’s books, it’s full of fun plot surprises and quirky
characters. Elizabeth is one of the best literary heroines ever
written. It’s amazing how well the characters are developed in just a few
short pages, thanks in large part to the fabulous illustrations. The
illustration style fits the tone of the story perfectly.
Make sure to check it out to find out whether Elizabeth saves Ronald and gets
her “happily ever after.”
Thomas
doesn’t want to wear his ugly new snowsuit, and he goes to great lengths to
avoid it, waging war with his mother, his teacher, and his principal.
Will anything or anyone be left standing by the time they get him into it?
The illustrations in this book are just delightful. The best part is how
expressive the characters are – every line of every limb adds to the character
development, from hair down to foot position. Thomas’ expressions are
hysterical.
One of the best things about Robert Munsch’s books is how much fun they are to
read aloud. Thomas’ Snowsuit is
particularly fun to read…the kids always chime in when Thomas says “NNNNNO.”
Make sure you REALLY draw out that ‘N’ sound. Extra bonus points if
you let out your inner goofball; the characters just scream for funny,
over-the-top voices.
Love You Forever is Robert Munsch’s best
known book. It started out as a song, written in honor of his two
stillborn babies. He changed publishers when the company which had
published his previous works wouldn’t publish it. Love You Forever
came out in 1986 and was the best-selling children’s book in Canada for 3 years
straight. It was also the best-selling children’s book in the U.S. as of
1994, quite a feat considering it didn’t have an American publisher or
distributor! (All info in this section is paraphrased from the ‘about’
section of his website http://robertmunsch.com/.)
Love You Forever is the story of a mother
and son and their lifelong relationship. Throughout all the stages of her
son’s life from his babyhood to adulthood the mother sneaks into her child’s
room after he is asleep and rocks him and sings him a special song, “I’ll love
you forever.” (I wish I knew the tune Robert Munsch wrote for this!)
The book paints perfectly and poignantly the challenges of parenthood and the
unbreakable bond of love between a parent and child. McGraw’s art
complements the story perfectly, and her unusual perspectives (i.e. scene
angles) keep it interesting. It’s fun to watch both the son and the
mother grow and change. There are also 2 ‘extra’ characters who show up
consistently in the illustrations throughout the book and add a lot of fun.
Warning: reading this book will make you want to go hug somebody you love.
Market: Children’s Picture Book
Language: Wholesome and fun
Violence: None
Sensuality: None
Mature themes: Aging (Love You
Forever)