Robert Munsch is an incredible author who has written many books that defined my childhood. A few favorites were Moira’s Birthday , 50 Below Zero , and of course Love You Forever .
Munsch’s way of storytelling is unique and eccentric.
I remember him visiting my school and bringing me to the front of the class to help tell Stephanie’s Ponytail , using my long hair as a prop. It definitely made everybody jealous.
Munsch published his first children’s book in 1979 after colleagues encouraged him.
He was working at the preschool for the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and often made up stories with the children.
Since then, he’s published more than 60 children’s books.
His stories appeal to children and families because he often writes about real-life scenarios.
They’re often based on kids he met during his visits to schools, with the child who inspired it becoming the character in the story.
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These school visits were often a surprise.
He’d just walk into a school and offer to tell stories for free. Often times, local news stations would showcase his visits, and students would look forward to seeing themselves on cable with Munsch.
Other times he published his stories based on the ones he told to his own children.
But one of his most well-known books is Love You Forever , which was published in 1986. It’s since become one of the best selling children’s books of all time.
The story follows a young boy and his mother throughout their lives.
She tells him how much she loves him in the form of a lullaby.
She eventually becomes elderly and it’s implied that she passes away, but the son continues to sing the lullaby with his own child.
Trust me on this: it’s a really good book.
The book was even featured on an episode of Friends.
Joey does a dramatic reading of it for Emma’s first birthday, and everybody becomes really emotional after.
If there was anyone left that hadn’t heard of the book before, they certainly knew it after that.
Anything that’s on Friends is forever solidified as iconic.
The story is beautiful and sad all at the same time, and that’s because the truth behind it is heartbreaking.
Munsch and his wife Ann both love children, but after two stillborn babies, they discovered that they wouldn’t be able to have any of their own.
As he struggled to cope with the loss, Munsch made up a lullaby.
It was stuck in his head but he couldn’t sing it because it was too painful.
Eventually, he decided to turn the song into a story and share it with everyone.
His publisher didn’t want to make the book, so Munsch switched publishers to get it done and it became the bestselling children’s book in Canada the year it came out.
The backstory definitely adds a whole other layer to the already emotional story.
If you want a few more tears added to your day, check out this clip from a 2011 interview where he sings the lullaby.