The Power of Picture Books

“[My son and I] sat on the couch reading the same few stories over and over. Unquestionably, his favorite was ‘I Love You to the Moon and Back’.”

— Jesse Schneiderman This week, I received a fantastic message from customer Jesse Schneidermann. I Love You to the Moon and Back means so much to him (and his son) that he wants a tattoo of one of my illustrations!

The idea of someone loving my art enough to tattoo it on their skin is amazing. (It was of the two bears lying back in the grass, gazing up at the Northern Lights.) 

I probed a bit further about the book’s appeal and received this unexpected explanation from Jesse (which I’m sharing with his permission). 

It still gives me goosebumps:

 

“I suffered from some pretty intense paternal postpartum depression when my son was born. I struggled to bond with him for the first year of his life. Shortly after that, we decided I would be a stay-at-home dad for him, as daycare wouldn’t start until he was 18 months old. During those five months, my love for him and connection with him grew as we sat on the couch reading the same few stories over and over. Unquestionably, his favorite was I Love You to the Moon and Back. He loved the illustrations of the animals, and reading it with him made me feel like I was successfully being a father for the first time.”

 

Jesse’s words are both affirming and moving – and I find both the joy and the pain of his experience totally relatable.

I’ve suffered some pretty severe depression myself. It is debilitating and does its best to suffocate all joy and hope in life.

And like Jesse, I was a hands-on dad.

The experience brought me indescribable joy – and central to that was sharing stories with my boys – either directly (curled up with a book) or through play.

My own dad read us bedtime stories each day after work.

Miffy.

Brer Rabbit.

Pooh and Piglet.

Ratty and Mole.

Dad gave each a different voice, and it was a daily event that I eagerly awaited. He continued the tradition of reading stories with his grandsons, who also enjoyed snuggling into his arms to hear him read.

Sharing stories with your children will help them make sense of life and grow in empathy. And yes, it supports their literacy, too. It’s all good and essential. But storytime is more than just a box-ticking exercise. Jesse’s experience reminds us that it’s far more critical than that. 

It provides moments of connection. 

Dad and I often spoke about those bedtimes. I believe it helped us have an intimate relationship, particularly later in life when the dust of youth settled. And without a doubt, those bedtime stories shaped my career path and passion for picture books. 

Sadly, Dad died at the end of May, shortly after celebrating his 92nd birthday (and 64th wedding anniversary!). It was a reminder that life is fleeting. To quote Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web, a favourite of ours: “We’re born, we live a little while, we die.”

    The last six months have been crazy.

I moved to Spain for two and a half months to look after my sister and nephew. I also got engaged (I’m grateful I had the opportunity to share the news with Dad, who was suitably delighted (“No, not delighted – thrilled!”). Our wedding is in under four months, I’ve sold my flat, and we are house hunting in earnest. It’s a lot going on – which explains why you’ve not heard from me!

Meanwhile, I continue to develop some story ideas (more on that another week) and find picture books which I shall share in due course. 

In the meantime, you can find older reviews here (or drop me a line if there’s a particular theme or subject you’d like recommendations for). 

Tips for sharing I Love You to the Moon and Back

The story (in terms of word count) is short. Perfect for ‘one last book’ at bedtime, but with sufficient detail to spend longer discussing the illustrations when time allows.

Use the picture book to create a quiet wind-down space at the end of the day! Incorporating it into a daily routine helps children feel secure.

The text cleverly avoids referring to the big bear in any specific way – meaning they can represent any adult in your child’s life, helping them relate to the little one.

STORIES WORTH SHARINGI Love You to the Moon and Back by Amelia Hepworth & Tim Warnes(Little Tiger Press, 2022)Good to Read for:calming down before bedtimesnuggling up togetherexpressing love to your child BUY THE BOOKPowered by Bookshop.orgSupporting local bookshops   “I read I Love You to the Moon and Back every night to my daughter when she was in the womb. Still almost five years later, her favorite!”– Hannah Bell, GoodReads

“a special book to share, perfect for when you need to put the afternoon of naughty spots and tantrums behind you”– The Bookbag BUY UK BUY USA SOURCESI Love You to the Moon and Back by Amelia Hepworth, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press, 2015)Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, ill. by Garth Williams (Hamish Hamilton 1952)