There are some children's books that make me cry, no matter how many times I've read them. My kids know to be embarrassed in advance. Call me weird, but Mother's Day isn't complete until I've snuggled with the kids and had a good cry with these books. My children will indulge this behaviour on Mother's Day. I'm looking forward to a good cry this Sunday. What about you? Are there children's books that move you to tears?
The Runaway Bunny. Dear Bunny, please stop being in such a hurry to grow up and be independent. All your mommy wants is for you to stay close by and be her little bunny forever. She'll turn herself into a tree, if that's what it takes. I'm tearing up just writing about it. Admittedly, the Mommy Bunny does exhibit some stalker behaviour, but it truly is a beautiful book to share with your children. Should be on your shelf, along with Margaret Wise Brown's more famous Goodnight Moon.
My Mama Had A Dancing Heart. A love song from a daughter to her mother. Now all grown up, a ballerina remembers all the times she and her mother danced together. As she prepares to go on stage, she hears her mother's voice inside her, "Bless the world/ it feels like/ a tip-tapping/ song-singing/ finger-snapping/ kind of day. / Let's celebrate." A touching tribute, and a reminder that kids really do grow to appreciate all the time we invest in them.
Giving Tree. Don't even go there, because I know this isn't about a mother, but I still cry. The tree loves the boy, and the boy loves the tree — at least while the boy is little and climbs that tree. The relationship becomes horribly unbalanced as the "boy" (that's what the tree always calls the man) grows. All the tree wants is the boy's love. The man isn't interested any more. Until he gets really really old, and all he has left is the tree stump. Sometimes I want to bang this ungrateful boy over the head. Can't you see how much this tree loves you? Why is this tree such a doormat? Sigh. It's just so sad.
Love You Forever. I hate you Robert Munsch for writing a book with the sole purpose of making mothers weep. Honestly, this mother kind of creeps me out. What kind of mom climbs up a ladder to sneak through her grown son's bedroom window and rock him to sleep? Never mind. By the time we get to the end, I'm a mess.
Happy, weepy Mother's Day!
What books make you cry?
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