Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Guess How Much I Love You
By Sam McBratney, Illustrated by Anita Jeram
Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears.
He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening. "Guess how much I love you," he said.
"Oh I don't think I could guess that." said Big Nutbrown Hare.
"This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.
Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. "But I love YOU this much." he said.
Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.
"I love you as high as I can reach," said Little Nutbrown Hare. "I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare. That is quite high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that.
Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet. " I love you all the way up to my toes!" he said.
"And I love you all the way up to your toes," said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him high over his head.
"I love you as high as I can HOP!" laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down. "But I love you as high as I can hop," smiled Big Nutbrown Hare - and he hopped so high that his ear touched the branches above.
That's good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hope like that.
"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river," cried Little Nutbrown Hare. "I love you across the river and over the hills," said Big Nutbrown Hare.That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think anymore.
Then he looked up beyond the thorn bushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be further than the sky. "I love you right up to the MOON," he said, and closed his eyes.
"Oh, that's far," said Big Nutbrown Hare. "That is very very far."
Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him goodnight.
Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, "I love you right up to the moon...AND BACK."
This is the story I read to Anabelle yesterday. This was the moment my friend Ally wrote a beautiful blog post about today. (Read Ally's Post Here)
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| Mummy reading to Anabelle |
Guess How Much I Love You is one of my all time favourite children's stories. When we were expecting Anabelle I bought her her own copy; her first book. I intended to start reading it to her before she was born, but that time never came. I never read a story to my daughter while she was alive. I find that very difficult - the book had been there for weeks, why hadn't I read it? What was I waiting for. I don't know.
I imagined sitting in the corner of her nursery in our white and pink gliding chair after it had been finished, still anticipating her arrival, reading to her, playing her music, spending time together in her room. I imagined then and could only ever imagine now.
In the chapel of rest, the last thing we did with Anabelle before kissing her for the final time was read her her book. I promised her then I would read the story to her every year on her birthday, and yesterday I kept that promise to her on her first birthday.
The final words in the book seemed so perfect to be engraved on her headstone. Such a special moment we'd shared in the chapel. Although Anabelle could never guess how much we love her; because even to the moon and back is no where near far enough.
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- Caz
- After Anabelle - Raising Rainbows. I'm Caz, Mummy to beautiful angel Belle and my wonderful rainbow boys, Xander, Zachy and Luc. Wife to Jon. Twitter @cazem Instagram @cazzyem
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2 comments:
I have read that book to all my boys and it still makes me want to cry. What a beautiful promise - to read it to your special little lady on every birthday. Take care of yourselves and remember I am always holding you in my heart and my thoughts xxx
Love Shabbs xx
Such a precious book and a precious picture.
Maria
xxxxx
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