There are scads of children’s picture books on the market today. You can find one on pretty much any topic for almost any age child. But some seem to transcend all ages and relate to readers on a deeper, heart level. And by “readers” I mean the children’s parents, as well. These are the books that become classics and parents pass on to their children and grandchildren. My favorite in this category is Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. I dare you to read it to your child without crying.

Love You Forever, a story of a mother and child’s enduring love, will celebrate its 20th birthday in 2014. It has sold over twenty million copies and an astounding 900,000 just last year. Not bad for a book that’s been in print for almost twenty years. Here are five reasons that I believe account for its amazing longevity..

• A universal message. Who doesn’t relate to either loving a child or being loved as a child?
• An emotional connection. This book is full of warm fuzzies. From the time the mom brings home her new baby to the time she’s an old woman being rocked by her son, my heart is full of the richness of the Human Experience.
• Repetition. This is an element that does well in most children’s picture books. Kids love repetition. And singsong repetition that is chockfull of emotional significance? Well, Robert Munsch just grabbed every parent’s heart there. Here’s the familiar chorus that is repeated every time the mother rocks her son.

“I’ll love you forever
I’ll like you for always
As long as I’m living
My baby you’ll be.”

• Full circle. Most writing classes teach that if you can start a writing project with a story or image and then end with something that ties back to it, you’ve taken your reader full circle in your project. That’s a good thing. When you can do it as winsomely and with such emotion as this book elicits, you’ve got a winner.
• A poignant peak into our future. We all start out as babies, grow into pesky teenagers, adults, and then watch our parents age. The gradual shift from mother caring for her son to son caring for his mother is one that, in real life, we sometimes don’t like to face. But this book does it so gently and sweetly, we see the actual beauty of the child becoming the parent to the mother and how it’s only right that we treat our elderly parents with the same love and care that they gave us. Could it be any more lovely?

As a writer, these points may come in handy to help you craft a winning story. As a reader, Love You Forever may give you fresh perspective to embrace your current life-stage, whether you’re caring for small children or are at life’s end. In short, life is beautiful in all stages. It should be cherished and celebrated with those you love.

If you’re a fan of Love You Forever, you might enjoy reading the story behind the inspiration for this book. It made me love it even more. You can read it here.

So Happy 20th Birthday, Love You Forever. Your title explains exactly how I feel about you.