I enjoyed your post. We got this book as a gift when my first son was born. When he got old enough, he went through a phase of repeatedly choosing that book to have us read. My husband tunred to me and said, “I hate that book.” I told him I did too. And it felt bad, both because it was a gift, and because under other circumstances I give usable items we are done with to charity, but I threw that book in the trash. Good riddance!

Oh man. I was all choked up the first time I read this book, which was while baby-sitting sometime around age 17. I’m of the camp that finds the enduring love sweet. However, I do see the point of it being creepy, and I find all the rants against it being creepy to be pretty entertaining. I’m sure that it won’t be on our shelves, though (unless it’s a gift?), just because of the stalker-mom comments. Funny stuff.

My grandmother bought it for my eldest son when he was born. She died before they met, so it was given to him (he was 6 weeks old) by my Aunt, at my grandma’s funeral.

So, of course, I sobbed reading it that first time: away from my husband for the first time, nursing my newborn at my grandma’s funeral. I was a mess.

I read it again a few weeks later and realized it was totally creepy and it has sat on the shelf untouched for the last 6 years.

I was born in 86, and my mom read my sister and I this book. I can definitely see the creepy factor there, but it brings back memories of curling up in bed with my mom and sister. It choked me up every time. Still does. However, we don’t own it for our son. I saw it at Goodwill yesterday for a quarter and passed it up.

I worked at Barnes & Noble, in the Children’s section, for two years. Roughly once a week, a group of grown women would come in looking for a baby gift, and one of them would mention this book. At least one would confess to having never heard of it. Then, this group of grown women (yes different women each time) would cluster around reading the book aloud and crying. Seriously, at least once a week. I read it after the first time, and must say, found it extremely creepy. But I also hate The Giving Tree, which feels like a long guilt trip, oh don’t mind me, just use me up and throw me away rant disguised as a sweet children’s book.

I love this book. It is a little creepy, but I mostly think it’s sweet.

PS. I love this book

I guess if you try to find the “creepy” factor in anything… you’ll find it. I mean, take Curious George. How irresponsible is the Man in the Yellow Hat that he lets George out all the time to wreak havoc? How sick are all the Roald Dahl books? Matilda, suffers abuse from the broad at the orphanage. James’ parents are eaten by rampaging rhinos? He is forced to live with his two horrible aunts, Spiker and Sponge. For three years Spiker and Sponge physically and verbally abuse James. The old woman that lives in the shoe? She beats her kids “soundly and sends them to bed” every night. Little Jack Horner? They put him in the corner. Red Riding Hood? A wolf tries to eat her, and eats her grandmother. And it goes on and on. These stories help kids get ready for a dark, deadly world. This book OBVIOUSLY isn’t realistic, instead what it is – is an interpretive piece illustrating the fact that parents LOVE their children for life. One never stops being a parent, one never stops feeling like their child is their “baby”. This books illustrates this concept and the feelings behind is so perfectly, and while I find your blog entry on the book mildly entertaining, I think you should focus more on the *feeling* of the book, and less on trying to find “creepy” elements in it. Because, one thing is for sure… your child won’t see those “creepy” elements, instead they will simply enjoy you reading it to them and will feel love from the story.