Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

But he continued writing for a more-personal reason: 'the act of imagining simply makes me feel good,' he says. Guess How Much I Love You has gone on to sell over 47 million units and has been translated into 57 languages.The 1943 born Northern Ireland native started writing children's books when he was a teacher in his thirties, with the aim of helping out students who had trouble reading.

Word about this remarkable picture book continues to spread. “Are you coming with us?”įourthly, those who brought the book to the marketplace.’ “We’re off on a journey,” they seem to be saying. This is where Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare are looking out at you. My two favourite aspects of design are the lettering of the cover, which for me has a quaint old-fashioned feel, and also the half-title page. Such thought has gone into the whole package. She has also perfectly caught throughout the intimacy between a big one and a wee one. There’s a gangly awkwardness, a boneyness, about hares, that Anita Jeram has captured, and with such a lovely soft palette. ‘First: yes, in the beginning is the word.

Sam attributes the success of Guess How Much I Love You to four things that came together in the creation of the book. But that’s another story, a different story. And Caroline was right, it wasn’t easy – it was a new experience over six months to have every word fighting for its existence in the finished text. I took up the challenge and the result was Guess How Much I Love You, published in 1994. What she was saying was what I later came to believe: it’s as difficult to write a fine picture book, one that stands out from the crowd, as it is to write a fine novel. It looks as though it should be easy, Sam, but it’s not easy.” What we don’t have are people who can write a powerful story using hardly any words at all. “Sam,” said Caroline, “we have illustrators who can render in exquisite detail whatever your imagination can dream up. I said, “You mean, you want me to send you. “Wouldn’t I have to work with an illustrator? You know, match text with drawing sort of thing.” I said, “Do I not need to know an illustrator, Caroline?”

One day, my editor at Walker Books in London said, “Why don’t you write a picture book, Sam?” The seed for Guess How Much I Love You was planted during a conversation between Sam M cBratney and his editor Caroline Royds, at Walker Books.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney