Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney | Goodreads
Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Guess How Much I Love You

Guess How Much I Love You

Rate this book
"Guess how much I love you," says Little Nutbrown Hare. Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him: as wide as he can reach and as far as he can hop. But Big Nutbrown Hare, who can reach farther and hop higher, loves him back just as much. Well then Little Nutbrown Hare loves him right up to the moon, but that's just halfway to Big Nutbrown Hare's love for him.

20 pages, Board book

First published January 1, 1988

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Sam McBratney

252 books441 followers
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. But he continued writing for a more-personal reason: "the act of imagining simply makes me feel good," he says. The fifty-seventh book of Sam McBratney's career, and his first book with Candlewick Press, was the much-loved GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, which has sold an astonishing 15 million copies worldwide, and is available in 37 languages. "This is not the sort of thing you expect when most of your books have been remaindered," the author admits. "But, as the frog trapped in the milk discovered, if you keep going, sometimes you find yourself walking on cream cheese."

Where does Sam McBratney get his inspiration? "I told my children stories when they were young," he says, "so when I write I try to think of what they would have liked." But there may be another source guiding his writing as well. The author's father--who worked as a type compositor with the BELFAST TELEGRAPH, and whose favorite books were westerns--is the person Sam McBratney credits for giving him his love of the English language. "Most of my picture books--GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS, JUST ONE!, and JUST YOU AND ME--explore the relationship between a big one and a wee one," the author notes. "The big one is not called the father in the stories, but that's what he is. Although my dad died before I became a writer, the father in my stories has a voice and a presence that he would have recognized and understood."

In addition to authoring many books for children, Sam McBratney wrote radio plays for adults and a prize-winning collection of short stories. He received a degree in history and political science from Trinity College, Dublin, and worked for many years as a teacher.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
86,070 (60%)
4 stars
32,545 (22%)
3 stars
17,128 (12%)
2 stars
4,160 (2%)
1 star
1,994 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,176 reviews
Profile Image for Ahmad Sharabiani.
9,564 reviews57 followers
September 20, 2021
Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney

A simple and sweet story, about the love a parent and child have for each other.

Little Nutbrown Hare asks Big Nutbrown Hare the title question, Guess how much I love you?, and the book continues as the two use larger and larger measures to quantify how much they love each other in answer to the question.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز نوزدهم ماه سپتامبر سال 2011میلادی

عنوان: می‌دانی چه‌قدر دوستت دارم؟ نویسنده سام‌ مک‌برتنی؛ تصویرگر آنیتا جرام؛ مترجم سپیده خلیلی؛ تهران: وزارت فرهنگ و ارشاد اسلامی، سازمان چاپ وانتشارات، نشر زلال، ‏‫1387؛ در 32ص، مصور، شابک 9789644227677؛ موضوع دوستی حیوانات از نویسندگان ایرلند - سده 20م

عنوان: ببین چه قدر دوستت دارم در بهـــار؛ نویسنده سم مک برتنی؛ تصویرگر آنیتا جرام؛ مترجم نیره طالب‌زاده؛ تهران: شرکت انتشارات علمی و فرهنگی کتاب های پرنده آبی، ‏‫1396؛ در 20ص؛ شابک 9786004364904؛

عنوان: ببین چه قدر دوستت دارم در تابستان؛ نویسنده سم مک برتنی؛ تصویرگر آنیتا جرام؛ مترجم نیره طالب‌زاده؛ تهران: شرکت انتشارات علمی فرهنگی، کتاب‌های پرنده آبی، ‏‫1396؛ در 20ص، مصور؛ ‬شابک 9786004364911؛

عنوان: ببین چه قدر دوستت دارم در پائیز؛ نویسنده سم مک برتنی؛ تصویرگر آنیتا جرام؛ مترجم نیره طالب‌زاده؛ تهران: شرکت انتشارات علمی فرهنگی، کتاب‌های پرنده آبی، ‏‫1396؛ در 20ص، مصور؛ ‬شابک 9786004364928؛

عنوان: ببین چه قدر دوستت دارم در زمستان؛ نویسنده سم مک برتنی؛ تصویرگر آنیتا جرام؛ مترجم نیره طالب‌زاده؛ تهران: شرکت انتشارات علمی فرهنگی، کتاب‌های پرنده آبی، ‏‫1396؛ در 20ص، مصور؛ ‬شابک 9786004364935؛

عنوان: اگر گفتی چقدر دوستت دارم؟ نویسنده سم مک‌ برتنی ؛ تصویرگر انیا جرام ؛ مترجم رضی هیرمندی؛ تهران، بافرزندان، 1397؛ در 24ص؛ شابک 9786007243947؛ چاپ دوم 1397؛

عنوان: حدس بزن چه قدر دوستت دارم؛ نویسنده سام بک براتنی؛ برگردان به فارسی اصلان قزل‌لو؛ تصویرگر آنیتا جرام؛ تهران، واژتاب 1397؛ در چهار جلد؛ جلد یک در بهار - جلد دو در تابستان - جلد سه در پاییز - جلد چهار در زمستان

عنوان: حدس بزن چقدر دوستت دارم؛ نویسنده سام مک‌ برتنی؛ تصویرگر انیا جرام؛ مترجم فرزانه ریحانی‌فر؛ مشهد، ارسطو، 1399؛ در 12ص؛

دیگر وقت آن رسیده بود که خرگوش کوچولو بخوابد؛ اما او گوش‌های بزرگ مادرش را محکم گرفته بود؛ چون می‌خواست مطمئن شود که مادرش، خوب به حرف‌هایش گوش می‌دهد؛ خرگوش کوچولو گفت: «حدس بزن چقدر دوستت دارم!» مادر گفت: «ولی من که نمی‌توانم حدس بزنم»؛ خرگوش کوچولو تا جایی که می‌توانست، دست‌هایش را از هم باز کرد، بعد گفت: «این قدر!» دست‌های مادر بلندتر بود؛ او آن‌ها را باز کرد و گفت: «ولی من تو را این‌قدر دوست دارم!»؛ سپس خرگوش کوچولو روی پنجه‌هایش ایستاد؛ دست‌هایش را بلند کرد و گفت: «من تو را تا این بالا دوست دارم» پس از آن نوبت مادرش بود؛ سپس خرگوش کوچولو آن‌قدر به این کارش ادامه داد تا سرانجام به خواب رفت

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 28/06/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Profile Image for Tracy.
13 reviews52 followers
June 27, 2008
This is THE best bedtime story, in my opinion. It was a nightly ritual for my first daughter, and it holds a very special place in our hearts. When it says that the dad bunny leans down and kisses the little one's head, Leah would always lean down and kiss the picture. The page became a little scummy from kiddie goo, and it's PRECIOUS! I will forever cherish my little girl's kisses in the book.
Profile Image for Katrina.
11 reviews
June 18, 2012
Can't the parent just let the kid win one? Even after kid falls asleep, the parent has to one-up the frustrated, exhausted child. Go pick on someone your own size!
Profile Image for Kelli.
876 reviews426 followers
January 2, 2018
This is one of only three board books that continuously survive the purge because I simply can't bear to move it out. I see tiny, invisible handprints all over it, as it was a favorite of both of my children. I received this as a baby shower gift and have easily read it hundreds of times. That it is still occasionally requested at bedtime makes my heart happy. Beautifully illustrated, this story is so sweet that I have never been able to read the ending without a lump in my throat and a hitch in my voice. How much do I love this book? To the moon. More importantly, how much do my children love this book? To the moon and back. 5 stars.

Update 2018: This once again has survived the year end, post-holiday purge. I tossed my beloved camouflage print Vans, my 1992 Cure concert T-shirt and several little monuments to my past that no longer serve me, but I simply cannot release this 11 year old, tattered board book. So on my shelf in the living room it remains, where it continues to make my heart happy.
Profile Image for Suz.
1,269 reviews671 followers
July 21, 2015
Someone wanted a story before bed, but someone isn't listening. I wonder if that someone could be Indy boy? And I wonder if that was to put off going to bed?! Of course it is.

This is a great little book. One that is a physical story as we do the actions along with the little hare, and the big hare. Our arms stretched wide or high, to show the love. This is a good little book for my son as he does not sit still for a story, but as it's about what 'we' do at home ie., 'I love you to the moon and back' or 'I love you more, I love you 10, I love you 20' - yes this is what we say between bed and closed door as a way to say goodnight - anything that creates harmony around here is a good thing. Recommended book for 2's through to the moon and back of age groups.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,849 reviews432 followers
June 28, 2023

If I were to ask you what the most popular children’s board book was in my Little Free Library Shed would you know the answer? Of course, you would, because you are reading the review right now!

I can’t begin to tell you how many times this book has come into the LFL, left, come back again, and left again, to come back again. And…each time, it is a different one. Which means…it is a new donation. Yes, whoever took the first one, did not return it.

This book is a keeper.

Why? Because how can you not resist the title?

This book was first given to me by my husband. Yes, I know. You heard me correctly. Before I say more about this, let me go into this book.

Plain and simple, this is a story about love, and how far it reaches and how deep it goes.

If we were to consider the educational themes, and how wonderful this book works between parent and child, or teacher and child…

At its core, because the story is about love, this is a great book for teaching little ones how to express their love and why it is important to tell people you love them.

It is also a sweet story that explains a pretty big idea in a way that even the youngest hearts can understand.

Reading level… start at any age. Even adult to adult – we all have the capacity to learn the depth that love can take us.

Profile Image for Calista.
4,397 reviews31.3k followers
February 10, 2020
I finally got around to reading this classic story. A beginning story, simple and sweet about the love a parent and child have for each other.

This will give you warm fuzzies all over. The artwork is cute and the simple story and characters are perfect to deliver this message.

The nephew was like, cute bunnies, boring story. Nothing happens. He is a man of action. They spend the book telling each other how much they love each other. He would have loved it a few years ago, but now he is too old for such things. He gave it 2 stars, so he didn’t totally hate it.
Profile Image for G Miller.
13 reviews5 followers
March 3, 2009
Okay this is my favorite book in the whole wide world, so I was surprised to see the number of less than favorable reviews.

To the guy that thinks (and I use that word liberally) that this book is a allegory for socialism, really? I mean really???? Really?????

To everyone else that thinks this book is about a "game of one-upsmanship" or it has a "undercurrent of competition between the parent and the child", You guys could not be more wrong.

Is upsmanship even really a word?

This book is about the nature of the love that exists between parent and child, no matter how much your children love you, I assure you that it will never be as much as you love them. That's what this book is about.

I read this book to my daughter just last night and I've read it to her at least a hundred times. Every time I do, when I flip that last page and read the final sentence, I nearly cry. That's why this is my favorite book in the whole wide world!
Profile Image for Chad.
52 reviews1 follower
May 2, 2008
One of the only books I can read to my daughter where the adult in the book is a male. Most of the books have no men or relegate the father to support-staff roles.

Having said that, the book is really a testosterone-fueled look at the competitive indoctrination of little boys.

Paraphrase of text:

Kid: I love you as million.

Dad: I love you a billion.

Kid: Can't you let me win once?

Dad: Only when you surpass my strength, then I will live vicariously through you.


Despite this shortcoming, the illustrations are great. My daughter loves it.
Profile Image for Mike Spinak.
Author 1 book12 followers
November 24, 2012
This may be my least favorite children's book that I've read to the kids. Even worse than the highly commercialized children's books devoid of any value which are made for nothing but the tie-ins to TV shows and toy sales. Guess How Much I Love You turns loving each other into a competition - and one where the child can never win against the parent. I like the idea of parent and child loving each other a lot, but this is so, so wrong of a way to communicate that theme. I found it unpleasant and saddening. It just made me uneasy to read it. And not just me. Ms. K only had to read it to her kids once, before she got rid of it. She felt the same way about it that I did. Yuck.

On a positive note, the illustrations are good.
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,337 reviews221 followers
December 30, 2019
Little Nutbrown Hare and his father, Big Nutbrown Hare, have what at first glance seems like a love competition in this sweet reassurance tale from Northern Irish author Sam McBratney and English illustrator Anita Jeram. As the younger hare declares his love, only to be continually outdone by his elder - "I love you as high as I can reach," the son says, but his father can reach higher - it gradually emerges that the two are enacting a bedtime ritual in which their mutual love is reaffirmed, all while the elder tacitly signals his protection, and the younger his admiration.

A contemporary classic for young children, Guess How Much I Love You was originally published in 1994, and is a book I have read many times over the years, although I am only now (in 2016) getting around to recording my response to it. This edition is a 20th Anniversary one, and contains a brief note from both author and illustrator. I've always loved this gentle tale, with its humorous and indulgent papa hare, and its cute-as-a-button hare son. McBratney perfectly captures their back and forth, just as Anita Jeram captures their loving bond in her charming ink and watercolor illustrations. I particularly love the contrasts between Big and Little Nutbrown Hare, as they gesticulate. Recommended most highly to anyone looking for reassurance tales for younger children!
Profile Image for Angela.
597 reviews
December 16, 2009
Nice illustrations. But the tone of the book doesn't strike me as particularly nice. I've known people who always have to win, and they're generally not pleasant to be around. The father figure's need to get in the last word even after the son is asleep reminds me of those unpleasant people, and makes me want to avoid this book.
Profile Image for Emma.
627 reviews97 followers
June 19, 2014
At risk of offending, I kind of really hate this smug Daddy trying to compete with his son the whole time. Why is it so important to him to show his son that he's bigger and more powerful (at loving, I know, I know, but the point stands) all the time? Just let the kid love you big and give him right back atcha. How frustrated that little nutbrown hare must feel. I think this is a book for parents not for children. And it's fucking sappy. However, Anita Jeram's illustrations are absolutely lovely so props to her and I'm going to find more of her work.
Profile Image for Wojciech Szot.
Author 16 books1,211 followers
March 3, 2021
Czytając “Nawet nie wiesz, jak bardzo cię kocham” Sama McBratneya z ilustracjami Anity Jeram, która to książka jest uroczą opowiastką o Małym Brązowym Zajączku i Dużym Brązowym Zajączku, byłem szczerze zaskoczony płynnością i urodą przekładu.

Cofnąłem się do strony tytułowej i zobaczyłem powód mojej radości - Jarosław Mikołajewski. Po prostu wspaniale się to czyta, chociaż wydaje się, że nie ma czego czytać, bo to taka historyjka gdzie Zajączki licytują się na to który kocha bardziej (“Oooo tak!”) i tyle.

Ta historia pokazuje dwie rzeczy - dobrze zatrudniać dobrych tłumaczy i tłumaczki nawet do prostych historii i… warto o nich informować już na okładce. HarperKids - nie umiecie w reklamę, zatrudniliście do przekładu Mikołajewskiego i nie ma go na okładce? Nawet w opisie na 4 stronie? Chwalicie się na okładce “papierem z odpowiedzialnych źródeł”, a nie chwalicie się Mikołajewskim. Bez sęsu.
Profile Image for Dawne.
Author 3 books10 followers
February 26, 2017
"I love you right up to the moon- and back."

I remember reading this book with my mom when I was little. I found it on sale at my bookstore and bought to so I can read it to my future kids. <3

5/5 stars!
Profile Image for Amber.
48 reviews2 followers
March 4, 2008
OK--I don't get this book. I just picked it up at a thrift store, feeling like Jackson is probably missing out on a major rite of passage if he doesn't read this as a toddler, but I don't get it. So the big nutbrown hare has to outdo the little nutbrown hare every time? It's a competition, is it? Sure, it's pretty and all, but someone needs to explain to me why this is a classic. Is my Mom card going to be revoked for saying that?
Profile Image for Shirley Revill.
1,197 reviews264 followers
November 16, 2017
This is one of the best night time children's stories ever. Beautiful story and illustrations.
Love this children's book. Recommended.
Profile Image for kimera.
170 reviews66 followers
March 3, 2021
Uroczy drobiazg. Kto dzieciaka w sobie jeszcze nie zabił, wzruszy się może i do łez otrzymując tę książkę w podarku :-)
Profile Image for Claire.
965 reviews260 followers
March 25, 2024
Just so incredibly wholesome. An excellent going to bed story that foregrounds the safety of love.
Profile Image for Denine Benedetto.
35 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2007
I HATE this book. What is the message? No matter what the little bunny tries to do, the father bunny has to one-better it. ARGH. I refuse to read this to my child anymore.
Profile Image for Ugnė Lukošienė.
438 reviews12 followers
July 14, 2022
Ypatinga! Kaip gražiai parodoma meilė ir stengiamasi ją nusakyti žodžiais... Puikus kūrinys, dukra iškart puolė viską kartoti ką darė abu Rudžiai 😍
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,176 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.