"I love you right up to the moon AND BACK"
“When writing about the hares, I aim to describe moments of
emotional significance but with loads of humour and the lightest of touches.
This story is about one of those moments. Little Nutbrown Hare’s world suddenly
glows with the discovery of friendship.” Sam McBratney Guardian
I was sad to read that Sam McBratney has died. Just like many many others I have often gifted Guess How much a Love you (1994) to parents of new babies and I treasure my own small toy plush hare based on this book. This famous book is available in 57 languages.
Sam McBratney lived in Northern Ireland and he wrote over fifty books for children. This week I borrowed eight from a school library to share with you. In an interview with Reading Rockets Sam McBratney talked about writing picture books.
"She did say people think it's easy, Sam, but it's not easy. And it took me six months. ... And for those six months, every word you write is fighting for its place on the page, you know."
But first off I need to mention one of my ALL TIME most favourite little chapter books which, huge thanks to Sam McBratney, I have loved sharing with children for over 20 years:
It is also interesting to note all of the different illustrators who have worked on the books by Sam McBratney. Here are a few: Kim Lewis; Anita Jeram; Charles Fuge; Sebastien Braun; Paul Hess; Jennifer Eachus; Ivan Bates; and Sam Usher.
The Most-Loved Bear illustrated by Sam Usher
Blurb: "Growly Bear and Mary Rose do everything together. Until one day, Growly Bear gets left behind. He's sure that Mary Rose will come back for him. But as the days turn to weeks turn to months, Growly Bear's fur gets worn, his eye comes loose and his growl starts to fade. Then a child picks him up. But this isn't the child he was expecting."
I'm not your friend illustrated by Kim Lewis
Blurb: "The little fox didn't want to wait until tomorrow. He wanted to play another game and he wanted to play it now. "I'm not your friend anymore," he said. "And I'm not going to be your friend again . . . ever." It's not always easy to stop playing when you are having fun. So when his mother says it's time to go, the little fox insists on staying. But as the meadow grass begins to whisper and the evening stars appear, he starts to think again."
Tell me a story before I go to bed illustrated by Sebastien Braun
Burb: "Anna-Sophia's dad says he will tell her a story when they go up the wooden hill. But where is the wooden hill? Can Anna-Sophia solve the riddle before it's time for bed?"
I'm Sorry illustrated by Jennifer Eachus
Blurb: "Having a best friend makes life so much better. but even best friends fight, and when that happens, I'm sorry is the hardest thing to say."
Jennifer Eachus is the illustrator of the exquisite book The Big big Sea by Martin Waddell.
Once there was a Hoddie illustrated by Paul Hess
Blurb: "Once there was a Hoddie who lived under a hill, and a very fine Hoddie he was. He was happy in his own way, but he didn't have the one thing that makes a Hoddie really happy. Can you guess what it is ... ?"
Yes we can illustrated by Charles Fuge
Blurb: "An adorable tale of fun and friendship that celebrates how everyone can be good at something."
It's lovely when you smile illustrated by Charles Fuge
Blurb: "When Little Roo wakes up, he just feels grumpy. His mother tires everything she can to make him feel better, but nothing she does makes any difference. So how will a wide, deep and muddy-at-the-bottom home make Little Roo smile?"
You're all my favourites illustrated by Anita Jeram
Blurb: "Mommy and Daddy Bear convince three worried cubs that there's plenty of love to go around in this comforting new tale from the incomparable team of Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram. At night the three baby bears asked their Daddy Bear, "Which one of us do you like the most? Who is your favorite? We can't all be the best." Every night, while tucking in their three cubs, Mommy and Daddy Bear tell them they're the most wonderful baby bears in the whole wide world. But one day the three little bears start to wonder: How do Mommy and Daddy know this is true? And even more worrisome to each sibling: What if my parents like my brother or sister better than me?"
The sequel to Guess how much I love you will be published at the end of September:
Here are a few other books by Sam McBratney which I have added to my own to read list:
I have loved exploring the work of Sam McBratney. I mentioned my favourite book - Oliver Sundew Tooth Fairy at the beginning of this post. I plan to talk in some detail about this soon. I have now discovered Sam wrote two other titles for the Walker Books Sprinters series and one for the Racers series (Flash Eddie and the big bad wolf):
Sam McBratney also wrote easy chapter books in the Heinemann Bananas series; Collins Colour Jets; and Walker Storybooks. You might be lucky and find a few of these are still in the collection of a well stocked school library.
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