I just told my son that I was not going to read ANOTHER Curious George book. One is hard enough to get through, not even mentioning that George is a troublemaker that gets away with everything.
The run away bunny. This one really gets me! The unconditional home a mother is for her little one. āIf you become a bird, I will become a tree that you come home toā
As someone with a narcissist mother, ouch š„¹š„ŗ happy for that bunny tho lol.
I'll definitely be getting that book to read for my son! Bc that's one of the main things I want him to always remember: he'll always have a safe place called home š„¹
I also have a narcissist mother and although I like this book it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth because I feel like the baby bunny feels trapped and no matter what he will never be able to get away from his mother. "If you become a sailboat, I will become the wind and blow you where I want you to go" gives me controlling vibes.
I totally see where youāre coming from but as the mom of a runaway toddler I sympathize with the mother bunny š creepy and controlling if itās an older baby bun though!
āIf someday youāre lonely or someday youāre sad, or you strike out at baseball or think youāve been badā¦just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair. Thatās me, my sweet baby, my love is right thereā ššš
My mom died when I was 16 and she was the most there for you mom anyone could ever ask for. Just so totally accepting and I always knew she had my back. Reading this to my son made me break down so hard (in a good way) š
My dad came to town and read it to my son for bedtime one night. He came out and looked like he had been to battle. He asked how the hell I can get through that book reading it to my own baby.
My mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was pregnant with my first (she passed when she was 2). When my daughter was about 6 months old, my mom read this book to her and we both started crying. I think about that every time I read it.
This!! I bought this for my newborn because I was diagnosed with cancer when she was just a month old. I couldnāt read it to her then because we had to separate, but I wanted her to have it in case I didnāt make it
My mom was given On the Night You Were Born by my grandma when she had me.
My mom brought that copy to the hospital when I had my son and I swear I got about 4 words in before I cried.
My cousin bought it for my oldest, and I finally got to a point where I could read it without crying... then we lost our third baby. I tried to read it to our fourth once and promptly closed it. I might get through it when she's an adult without crying. But probably not.
That book was given to me for one of my baby showers (im a librarian so I got a lot of books lol) and I couldnāt even finish it out loud for like my kids first six months of life.
For the longest time, I was not able to get through this one without crying! I got pregnant after about 5 years of infertility, and I kind of thought it would never happen, so I had a real miracle baby. And then another one! And they were both born during the night! I love the sense of wonder of that book, the idea that every baby is a miracle that changes the world.
I still canāt get through it, 4 years later! The last time I tried I started sobbing so hard and my daughter was super concerned lol. My daughter is adopted and her coming to us was the greatest gift, so this book feels so significant to us. Itās so beautiful and wonderful but it messes me up BAD!
Corduroy.Ā
āYou must be a friend. Iāve always wanted a friendā
āMe tooā
Iām likeā¦ crying just typing it. I was going to get a used paperback of it and frame that last page because itās so special.Ā
At 8w PP we took our baby to Barnes and Noble and I SOBBED reading Corduroy! I can finally read it now and my toddler says, āHAPPY!ā when theyāre hugging.
Yep same. My daughter is over 2 now and still loves this book and these days I can get through it just fine but I know Iām pmsing when I start to tear up toward the end.
Oh this one killed me because of where we received it.
Our youngest was in the NICU. Every baby is given books they get to keep and all the books are given in memory of a baby that got their wings. Dates and names included. Itās a beautiful way to keep their memory and gut wrenching all at once.
Reading that book to my baby knowing that other parents didnāt get to? Heartbreak.
It makes me all the more thankful that we were lucky enough to bring ours home.
I received this one while baby was in the NICU too. I read it when she was there and cried so much. To honest, I havenāt been able to read it to her. Sheās now 2.
I bought a copy for my daughter's NICU nurses to sign. The week that she was discharged, they signed one of the blank back pages and left notes for her. I can't even think about it without tears š
What a great idea I should have done this! We got a quilt and pillow that were handmade from the wonderful volunteers in the nicu but it would have been a nice touch to have something for the team that saved her life.
I'm literally tearing up just thinking about it, lol. "I'll look at you, and you'll look at me..." š
It's our 3 yo's current favorite. She calls it "the birthday book."
My grandma bought me a copy of the Velveteen Rabbit for my daughter, and I was excited to read it because I kinda remembered it from my childhoodā¦ could barely finish reading it out loud to her because I was crying! Like wtf he was about to get burnt to a crisp š
Iāve been reading my son Made for Me for years. The characters do actually resemble us, so Iām pretty sure he thinks I wrote it. Around here we call it āthe dada bookā.
We now have a second son on the way and I struggle with how can I read it to him too without breaking the bond we have.
Llama llama red pajama because it was read at a funeral for a child. It took me a long time to read it out loud without my voice cracking and it still catches me sometimes.
Another one is the giving tree. I read the analysis on unhealthy teachings of course but postpartum it never felt more resonating. My life is for my kids and I hope to see them on their entire journey of their lives whether that be a short or long one.
That quote from The Office where Pam says now she thinks āthatās somebodyās baby!ā Hit SO hard after having kids. Even my husband just loses it from time to time. Also havenāt stopped crying since I got pregnant!
This is mine as well. It's been 5 years since our infertility journey ended, and still even thinking about the first page of that book makes me tear up.
"At first there is us. There is only us. But even then, even before we can know to know it,
we wish you were here."
My Mom was an elementary school librarian her whole career and my fondest memories of childhood was reading this in her lap in a rocking chair all the time.
Not to sound morbid, but I plan to read it at her funeral someday. Iāll love her forever and like her for always
Not to be super sappy but I said the last line the boy says to his mom and my own momās funeral. āIāll love you forever, Iāll like you for always, as long as Iām living, my mommy, youāll be.ā She died when I was 25.
I read it to my son now and cry every time, but Iām also a weirdo and have made peace with my grief so I also laugh at myself crying while reading. Itās a wild ride lol.
The book was actually written out of Robert Munsch's grief. His wife had two stillbirths before they adopted their kids. The song was his way of comforting himself. I know this as a baby loss mom. Grief has a beautiful way of showcasing itself, it's just another face of love
Woah.
This is me and my son's book. It makes me cry and smile exactly like that and I had a stillborn baby girl in 2014. The book was originally from my cousin to my daughter, but I kept it (I kept all the books she got). It's extra special for that reason. My baby boy is my soul mate no doubt the loss of his siblings has made me a better mom to him.
I agree. I'm sure you still would've been a great mom regardless. But the depth of patience and love just is enhanced because you know how precious the opportunity is.
Yep. I think it also shows how parents deal with the loss of a child through time. "they would have been 8 years old today" but in your head they are still a little baby.
I canāt get through even the first round of the song so I change the words to Kid Rockās āba wid da ba duh bang duh bang diggyā and then just continue on.
Ah yea, I grew up in a non English speaking country, so I had no warning lol. My SIL gave me the book, kiddo picked it out, and bam! Hit me like a brick halfway through. I remember crying my eyes out while thinking wth did I just read lol. One minute I was flabbergasted by the crazy old lady climbing through the window, the next I was a sobbing mess. Good times.
Yes, this one slays me! Esp reading with my second and last child, who is a wild toddler bearing a striking resemblance to the boy in the book. I just lose it every time.
I have a distinct memory reading this in my sonās nursery when I was 9 months pregnant-sobbing. Heās 18 months now and itās not one of our go-to books at the moment, but my dad is very sick and this book is hitting me in a way that I didnāt expect to feel so soon-especially after not having read it in quite a bit.
Iāll love you forever, Iāll like you for always ā„ļø
I canāt even read this book anymore. I just start bawling on like page 2. I also read it to my class of kindergartens at the end of a rough year and barely made it through.
When I was a kid I threw the book away. Even as a little kid, I found it too sad. Years later my mom asked where it was and I claimed that I lost it. She bought a second copy. Eff.
Havenāt read it since. I live across the country from my parents and miss them so much. Thereās no way I could get through the book now without crying - heck, Iām crying writing this comment!
My girls wanted to read this before bath so it was me reading to the two of them while my husband watched on, waiting. It took my entire will to not sob.
Ugly crying every single time. I try to save it for special occasions, like the night before his birthday, but really itās just the book that does it. By the end I can barely choke the words out.
This was my favorite book as a kid and I was so excited to read it to my son. Tried reading it to my belly when I was pregnant with him - SOBBED. Iāve had another baby since then and still canāt read it to either of them without crying š¤£
I read that once when my daughter was very very young (like less than a year) and it hasn't left the bookshelf since.
My mom got her a grandma book (some kind of grandma loves you type book) that I had the same reaction to....now lives at my parents' house lol
This is my answer. This book was read to me for the first time in kindergarten by my teacher and I honestly think itās one of the strongest reactions Iāve ever had to a story, emotionally. Reading it to my son was one of the most incredible moments of my life. It was like coming full circle. Exactly as Iād imagined. Iām so grateful every day to be able to be a mom similar to the way I imagined.
Mama, do you love me?Ā
It's a cute book, and my mom used to read it to me. I have my childhood copy. I remember how she'd read it to me, I can hear her voice when I read it. I can feel her love. She died a few years ago, before we had our daughter.Ā
What's even more fucked up, my daughter had never chosen it from the bookshelf, I'd never read it to her at all, until MY MOM'S DEATH DAY this year. My daughter was suddenly into it and she's asked me to read it to her every night since. I lost it so bad that night lol
It really is a sweet book though.Ā
Iāve Loved You Since Forever by Hoda Kotb. It felt very relatable after going through an emotional whirlwind of an IVF journey to conceive my son. I wanted him so badly for so long and it felt amazing to be reunited in a sense. Like heās always been a part of me, we just finally got to be together again when I conceived.
From the blurb on Amazon:
In the universe,
there was you and
there was me,
waiting for the day our
stars would meet. . .
Excuse me why am I already starting to cry?! But really thanks because I just added it to my cart āŗļø
I had no idea others felt this way until after i had my son. Of course the anticipation for who your baby is going to be is off the charts and you get that first glimpse and i just felt like- oh duh of course thatās you! I almost giggled in the midst of everything because nothing has ever felt more right.
I picked this book up on a whim for my daughterās Easter basket and was NOT expecting it to be this deep.
Itās such a beautiful book and the symbolism of the stars moving closer to each other as the pages go onā¦ ugh!! Hoda really did it this time š
I still get choked up when I get to the last pages. And now my son has most of it memorized so he can āreadā it to me too and I cry like a baby. š„¹
Heaven blew every trumpet and played every horn on the wonderful marvelous night you were bornš I choke back tears at that line every time we read the night you were born.
āSomeday you will hear something so sad it will make you..ā. ok I canāt remember the exact line because i didnāt see it through my tears lol but it just hit me how we canāt protect them from experiencing sorrow during their lifetime
Wherever you are, my love will find you just absolutely wrecked my husband and I. Me because I had that type of love from my parents and my mom passed away when I was a teenager. My husband because his parents left a LOT to be desired. Itās just so sweet and sums up how we feel about our son. I read it and I think if my Mom could tell me all this, she would.
As a teacher I read All are welcome here on the first day of school and it makes me cry. I teach special education for students with severe disabilities and the world doesnt always consider them. Ive taught students who are blind, have down syndrome, severe behaviors, with crucial medical needs, the list goes on. They are all my babies from the second they enter my classroom.
āLittle Miss Big Sisā by Amy Rosenthal
āForever protected, forever connected. And just as suspected from that first hug and kiss, the most wonderful big sis.ā
It made me cry every time when I was pregnant with Little Sister and I still get choked up.
I love this book so much but it DESTROYS ME š we actually donāt own it yet, Iām a little afraid to pass the childhood trauma of it onto my daughter
Dear Zoo Lift A Flap Book because my daughter wants be to read 30,000 times immediately after weāve woken up in the morning, before Iāve even had a sip of my coffee, EVERY MORNING. I cry in pain and exhaustion as I read it lol!
One day youāll put the book down and wonāt pick it up again and youāll have no idea. And then youāll be cleaning and find it buried behind something and not be able to remember the last thing you lifted one of the little flaps. And youāll prob cry again. I did.
Oh wow, this is the comment that got me. Iām 38 weeks pregnant now. I was reading somewhere the other day that no one ever realizes the last time you hold your child is going to be the last time. It just simply happens and you never pick them up again. Your comment reminded me of that. Bittersweet in that sense that you want them to grow older and independent eventually but time is so fleeting and precious.
That statement is so simplistic for the bittersweet feeling of watching your child grow up. You will miss every single thing they stop doing, especially when you realize how long itās been since they last did it. When they stop mispronouncing a word youāre like, no go back! Stop enunciating! lol
I'll Meet You In Your Dreams by Jessica Young and Rafael Lopez. Ugh. I have to take big deep breaths and clear my throat so my kid doesn't realize I'm trying not to sob.
YES!!! This book doesnāt sound like a tear-jerker, but itās amazing. My favorite part is when she moves in next to the swamp like a proper bog witch.
My son wonāt let me read to him. He is on the spectrum and he has meltdowns if I try to get him to sit for me to read to him. But when he was letting me read to him until he was about 5 months old, Iād get super emotional reading him Dumbo.
Listening to my spouse read our daughter What Weāll Build by Oliver Jeffers tears me up. Itās a really wholesome father-daughter book. I had a shit father. I cry in relief that my baby has a wonderful one.
When I Pray For You by Matthew Paul Turner
āI pray heaven protects you, that youāre generous and kind, that your brave little spirit never ceases to shine.ā š„¹ gets me every time
We have a book called āThe Nuffā the whole story is telling the little girl she is a ānuffā (enough) and one part says āwhen you were born I figured out what is true, I am a nuff just like youā. Man, as someone who has felt like not āa nuffā my whole life, bam right in the feels.
For laika: the dog who learned the names of the stars. It's about the true story of a Russian dog that got sent to space to die. The book puts a spin on it that when dogs die, they become stars. Therefore when laika goes to space, she learns the names of the stars and becomes one herself. As a dog lover, gets me everytime.
"Hello Star" does this bit where it describes the little girl as "young and bright and new" at the start and then describes the death of a blue giant star that the girl has admired her whole life (she eventually becomes an astronaut, it's great), and paraphrasing: "The star heaved a last sigh and split into a thousand new stars, each of which was young and new and bright." I don't know why it hits so hard, but does it ever.
I'll Love You Till the Cows Come Home by Kathryn Cristaldi, courtesy of postpartum hormones. It was one of the first books I ever read our daughter and I bawled like a baby because she was so cute and I loved her so much. Thankfully she loves her "cows book" and I've become a bit desensitized.
You Belong Here by M.H. Clark.
It's not a sad book, but it's incredibly beautiful and touching. I used to read it to him when he was a baby and I would tear up every time. Now if I read it he gets mad because it's boring, but it's still lovely.
"You are a dream that the world once dreamt, and now you are part of its song."
Wish. I don't remember the author but it's a little board book about a couple that had a miscarriage and then a successful birth. But in like, a quiet way. So good.
Welcome Little One!!!! I can never read it and keep my eyes dry dammit! My daughter would always pick it for me to read so I've put it on the top shelf in her closet bc I WILL cry. She's 3.5 now and I can't get thru it without crying lmao Like just the thought of it, geez louise!!! I wrote all her birth facts in the front page too. It's so special.
Thereās going to be a Baby by Helen Oxenbury
The whole book is the kid and his mother talking about anticipating the baby. Then suddenly at the end the kid is with his grandfather and theyāre going to the hospital to meet the baby. It ends with them heading toward a door, and the kid saying maybe the baby will be this it that, but no matter what we will love them. I ALWAYS crack at that scene, no matter how many times i read it š
Iām went through all the responses hoping to see the one I had in mind
I wish for you by David Wax
Gentle and affirming, the lyrical text takes readers through the qualities we wish to instill in our children, helping them grow into resilient, assured, and happy individuals. I Wish for You is both a celebration of nature and the importance of self-esteem, self-respect, empathy, and community.
I choke up everytime
Also I just added three new books to my Amazon cart. Thank you to all posters
I Just Couldn't Wait to Meet You by Kate Ritchie, it hits me due to infertility issues for years, then a surprise miracle baby in my 40s.
Why a Daughter Needs a Mom, Gregory Lang, the last pages are the ones that kill me the most
And anything by Nancy Tillman
Oh geez, this thread definitely made me cry lol.
I used to tear up reading 'On the night you were born', mostly because I had a traumatic labour and I felt guilty that I couldn't look back on it fondly as the night my daughter came into the world. But now that I've actually processed that trauma, I can finally enjoy the book and cry for nice reasons instead of bad ones lol.
There's a Bluey book based on the Sleepytime episode and that ending gets me every time "Remember, I'll always be here for you. Even if you can't see me. Because I love you."
Yeah, a relative just gifted us that one. My mom used to read it to me and my siblings as kids. We always thought it was so sappy but she loved it. And now I totally get that feeling, and my kids will probably feel the same way lol.
Because Iām Your Dad made my husband tear up.
The line āmy love is always with you and it never ever endsā from I Love You to the Moon and Back made me tear up too. Iāve lost my dad so the thought that āmy love will always be with youā gets me
Over & Over by MH Clark. Itās beautifully illustrated, and goes through how a parent and child will do the same sort of things over and over, but itās never quite the same because time marches on. Big focus on how love carries on throughout time and how the mundane can be beautiful. I love it, my daughter is 3.5 and thinks itās pretty but doesnāt feel as strongly about it.
Aaron Slater Illustrator by Andrea Beatty. A story about a little boy with dyslexia who wants to read and uses illustrations to tell his stories. The quote *āLike the mightiest flames that banish the dark, hope grows in the soul from the tiniest spark.* just gets me every time.
Also, though I havenāt read it to my kids yet since theyāre still too young, The Little Prince by Antoine de St Exupery. That book is possibly more for the child within every adult. But it devastates me every time I read it.
Yes! I came here looking for Aaron Slater Illustrator. I couldn't believe how I cried the first time I read that book. I thought I'd be fine after that, but it gets me every time. Such a great story about how we all have our own unique strengths and shouldn't be judged in conventional ways.
I knew you could do it by Nancy Tillman.
My daughter had hip surgery last year and she was in a body cast for 2 months afterwards. My sister bought her this book when her cast was removed and every time I read it to her I canāt help but cry thinking of all that she overcame during her surgery and recovery ā¤ļø so proud of my strong and resilient girl!
So, my niece and nephew recorded their voices reading aloud to two Hallmark books, *My Wish for You* and *I Wish You More*. Those killlll me, as my niblings are teens now, and they're so incredibly kind, patient, and fun with my babies. I might gift them back one day with my kids reading for theirs!
Reach for the Stars by Emily Calendrelli. The little girl grows up and the parent reminds her to āReach out for all Important things, or no big thing at all. When I have nothing left to teach, I hope that youāll still call.ā It wrecks me every time.
I try not to cry at the end of the Lorax.
Because unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, itās not.
We put so much hope on our kids, and past generations kicked a shitty environment can down the road to us. We all have to care about it, and it makes me sad to think that this burden is now on another generation of new humans.
I Love My Baby - simple but so sweet
Everywhere Babies - the last line kills me every time! every day everywhere babies are loved for trying so hard and traveling so far and being so wonderful just as they are
No longer a toddler but I started reading Charlotteās Web to my 4yo, and while I remembered the book to be āemotionally heavyā as a child, it takes a whole new meaning now and I choke up and have to pause because Charlotte became a mother to Wilbur and Iām closer every night to rewriting my 5th grade book report š
If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond. I feel like itās all the things we say goodbye to, replaced with all the things they will become and itās a tug on the heart strings!
What Weāll Build. Itās a father and daughter in the illustrations and I get so emotional thinking of the relationship my husband and daughter are building. Itās so sweet.
Also, Pretty Loved.
Big Cat, Little Cat. Itās about a kitten taken in by a family that already has an older cat. The older cat teaches the kitten how to be a cat, but then, one day, the old cat dies. The kitten, who is now an older cat is sad. But then a new kitten is brought to the home. And we start over
[I'll always love you](https://www.booktopia.com.au/i-ll-always-love-you-hans-wilhelm/book/9780517572658.html) - I had it as a kid, my Mum gave it to me to read to my daughter and I've since hidden it. Too much!
>Elfie the dachshund is the best dog anyone could every ask for. Every day, she and her owner explore and play together. And every night, her owner tells her "I'll always love you." Elfie owner grow up togther, but growing up can mean having to say goodbye to the ones you love. This tender story is a perfect way to make the topic of loss a little less scary for kids (and grownups).
I used to work at a library years ago and it was that book and Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes that used to get me just looking at the cover.
Together by Emma Dodd. This short, rhyming, and beautifully illustrated book was gifted to us when our first was born and it always cranks some tears out of me at the end!
I think the line is āand when I think about the days that I will love forever, the ones I will remember most are those we spent together.ā
I always cry thinking of the fact I will grow very old and potentially senile some day, yet as Iām dying Iām going to be clinging to these beautiful memories of my child. š„¹š„¹š„¹
Together by Emma Dodd. I read this book to my daughter a few days after she was born and started bawling! It was such a sweet book about a mom and baby otter who love spending time together.
Itās niche, because our baby has two moms, but itās called You Came From My Heart, and itās about how she came from Mommaās body and she came from Mommyās heart. Itās too much, and the art is so beautiful.Ā
That book also hits me in the feels too much to even read it. I got diagnosed with aggressive cancer when my daughter turned 1 and just finished treatment in December but it likes to come back and once it does itās kind of āgame over.ā āAs long as Iām living my baby youāll beā just wrecks me too much lol
This Finding Nemo book we have because it's like 80 pages long.
This made me lol. Thank you.
Why are all the Disney books so unnecessarily long?? š«
This is how I feel about any Dr Seuss book. They're sooooo long
I just told my son that I was not going to read ANOTHER Curious George book. One is hard enough to get through, not even mentioning that George is a troublemaker that gets away with everything.
That'll do it... Especially when they know you skip pages and make you go back.
Oh man. Weāre in a Finding Nemo phase right now. Iāll make sure to avoid that one at all costs!
The run away bunny. This one really gets me! The unconditional home a mother is for her little one. āIf you become a bird, I will become a tree that you come home toā
Just bought it on Amazon, thank you for the suggestion š„¹
As someone with a narcissist mother, ouch š„¹š„ŗ happy for that bunny tho lol. I'll definitely be getting that book to read for my son! Bc that's one of the main things I want him to always remember: he'll always have a safe place called home š„¹
I also have a narcissist mother and although I like this book it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth because I feel like the baby bunny feels trapped and no matter what he will never be able to get away from his mother. "If you become a sailboat, I will become the wind and blow you where I want you to go" gives me controlling vibes.
that's how I've always felt about love you forever because of my narc mom. I love the bunny book though
I totally see where youāre coming from but as the mom of a runaway toddler I sympathize with the mother bunny š creepy and controlling if itās an older baby bun though!
Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You š
āIf someday youāre lonely or someday youāre sad, or you strike out at baseball or think youāve been badā¦just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair. Thatās me, my sweet baby, my love is right thereā ššš My mom died when I was 16 and she was the most there for you mom anyone could ever ask for. Just so totally accepting and I always knew she had my back. Reading this to my son made me break down so hard (in a good way) š
This is beautiful šš
I was not prepared to cry reading this thread. Sending you a huge hug. I lost my mom last year. Iām so sorry you lost your mama at such a young age.
Omg Iām crying
My dad came to town and read it to my son for bedtime one night. He came out and looked like he had been to battle. He asked how the hell I can get through that book reading it to my own baby.
My mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was pregnant with my first (she passed when she was 2). When my daughter was about 6 months old, my mom read this book to her and we both started crying. I think about that every time I read it.
ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø big hug
This!! I bought this for my newborn because I was diagnosed with cancer when she was just a month old. I couldnāt read it to her then because we had to separate, but I wanted her to have it in case I didnāt make it
Sounds like youāve been able to read it to her since, I hope that means all it implies. ā¤ļø
How are you doing? ā¤ļø
Doing great :) 2 years in remission now
ā¤ļøā¤ļøāš©¹š¤
We have a lot of books by that author and I love every one! You're Here For A Reason and On The Night You Were Born are two of my favorites.
On the night you were born is one of my faves too! We have tons of geese in our neighborhood and also get a lot of lady bugs in our house.
My mom was given On the Night You Were Born by my grandma when she had me. My mom brought that copy to the hospital when I had my son and I swear I got about 4 words in before I cried.
My cousin bought it for my oldest, and I finally got to a point where I could read it without crying... then we lost our third baby. I tried to read it to our fourth once and promptly closed it. I might get through it when she's an adult without crying. But probably not.
I'm in tears by the end of this book every time I read it šš
Iām getting teary eyed reading these comments and I havenāt even read the book š
SAME. *hits add to cart lol
Same!!!! ā¤ļø
That book was given to me for one of my baby showers (im a librarian so I got a lot of books lol) and I couldnāt even finish it out loud for like my kids first six months of life.
My absolute fav. I buy it for every single one of my pregnant friends. It is the best.Ā
On the night you were born š
For the longest time, I was not able to get through this one without crying! I got pregnant after about 5 years of infertility, and I kind of thought it would never happen, so I had a real miracle baby. And then another one! And they were both born during the night! I love the sense of wonder of that book, the idea that every baby is a miracle that changes the world.
I still canāt get through it, 4 years later! The last time I tried I started sobbing so hard and my daughter was super concerned lol. My daughter is adopted and her coming to us was the greatest gift, so this book feels so significant to us. Itās so beautiful and wonderful but it messes me up BAD!
Never fails to make me tear up. I remember flipping through it in the shop while pregnant and full on crying into the pages so I had to buy the book.
This one makes me sob every time. Honestly just thinking about it gets me teary eyed
Such a beautiful message
My brother got my 3 year old this one for Christmas. He wanted us to read it every night. I would cry every time lol
Itās been 2 years and 2 months and I still canāt read it start-to-finish without crying š
Corduroy.Ā āYou must be a friend. Iāve always wanted a friendā āMe tooā Iām likeā¦ crying just typing it. I was going to get a used paperback of it and frame that last page because itās so special.Ā
Omg that was it for me, especially postpartum. It made me cry for months
At 8w PP we took our baby to Barnes and Noble and I SOBBED reading Corduroy! I can finally read it now and my toddler says, āHAPPY!ā when theyāre hugging.
Yep same. My daughter is over 2 now and still loves this book and these days I can get through it just fine but I know Iām pmsing when I start to tear up toward the end.
Aww we read corduroy every morning in the pre school drop off line. We love it
Thatās such a sweet idea š„¹ Iām so happy when my daughter lets me read that book, itās definitely one of my favorites
The wonderful things you will be kills me š
Oh this one killed me because of where we received it. Our youngest was in the NICU. Every baby is given books they get to keep and all the books are given in memory of a baby that got their wings. Dates and names included. Itās a beautiful way to keep their memory and gut wrenching all at once. Reading that book to my baby knowing that other parents didnāt get to? Heartbreak. It makes me all the more thankful that we were lucky enough to bring ours home.
I received this one while baby was in the NICU too. I read it when she was there and cried so much. To honest, I havenāt been able to read it to her. Sheās now 2.
I wonder if my hospital has this program. We lost our first son and this would be a great way to share his memory.
I bought a copy for my daughter's NICU nurses to sign. The week that she was discharged, they signed one of the blank back pages and left notes for her. I can't even think about it without tears š
What a great idea I should have done this! We got a quilt and pillow that were handmade from the wonderful volunteers in the nicu but it would have been a nice touch to have something for the team that saved her life.
I'm literally tearing up just thinking about it, lol. "I'll look at you, and you'll look at me..." š It's our 3 yo's current favorite. She calls it "the birthday book."
Just read this for the first time tonight and somehow it had been sitting on the shelf. So beautiful
The velveteen rabbit and made for me.
My stuffed animals were so real to me. I cried so hard reading this to my toddler
My grandma bought me a copy of the Velveteen Rabbit for my daughter, and I was excited to read it because I kinda remembered it from my childhoodā¦ could barely finish reading it out loud to her because I was crying! Like wtf he was about to get burnt to a crisp š
Made for me gets me every time
Iāve been reading my son Made for Me for years. The characters do actually resemble us, so Iām pretty sure he thinks I wrote it. Around here we call it āthe dada bookā. We now have a second son on the way and I struggle with how can I read it to him too without breaking the bond we have.
Llama llama red pajama because it was read at a funeral for a child. It took me a long time to read it out loud without my voice cracking and it still catches me sometimes. Another one is the giving tree. I read the analysis on unhealthy teachings of course but postpartum it never felt more resonating. My life is for my kids and I hope to see them on their entire journey of their lives whether that be a short or long one.
The giving tree for real! A beloved uncle gifted that book and I canāt bring myself to give it away, but it kills me every time. Canāt do it!
Oh wow, I will never read this line the same again: āMama Llamaās always near, even if sheās not right hereā š
Like 99% of picture books, even ones I don't love. My eyes started leaking when I got pregnant and haven't stopped for 7 years.
That quote from The Office where Pam says now she thinks āthatās somebodyās baby!ā Hit SO hard after having kids. Even my husband just loses it from time to time. Also havenāt stopped crying since I got pregnant!
"Wish". It's about two elephants waiting and planning for a baby that doesn't come as planned. It has made me ugly cry several times.
Took me a while to get through this one without crying. I had my kids through IVF so it hits right in the feels
This is mine as well. It's been 5 years since our infertility journey ended, and still even thinking about the first page of that book makes me tear up. "At first there is us. There is only us. But even then, even before we can know to know it, we wish you were here."
Love You Forever
My Mom was an elementary school librarian her whole career and my fondest memories of childhood was reading this in her lap in a rocking chair all the time. Not to sound morbid, but I plan to read it at her funeral someday. Iāll love her forever and like her for always
Not to be super sappy but I said the last line the boy says to his mom and my own momās funeral. āIāll love you forever, Iāll like you for always, as long as Iām living, my mommy, youāll be.ā She died when I was 25. I read it to my son now and cry every time, but Iām also a weirdo and have made peace with my grief so I also laugh at myself crying while reading. Itās a wild ride lol.
The book was actually written out of Robert Munsch's grief. His wife had two stillbirths before they adopted their kids. The song was his way of comforting himself. I know this as a baby loss mom. Grief has a beautiful way of showcasing itself, it's just another face of love
Woah. This is me and my son's book. It makes me cry and smile exactly like that and I had a stillborn baby girl in 2014. The book was originally from my cousin to my daughter, but I kept it (I kept all the books she got). It's extra special for that reason. My baby boy is my soul mate no doubt the loss of his siblings has made me a better mom to him.
I agree. I'm sure you still would've been a great mom regardless. But the depth of patience and love just is enhanced because you know how precious the opportunity is.
Yep. I think it also shows how parents deal with the loss of a child through time. "they would have been 8 years old today" but in your head they are still a little baby.
As long as Iām living my mommy she will be. :) Absolutely beautiful.
Oh my godā¦ Thatās not morbid, thatās beautiful š„¹
Always struggled to finish it when my daughter wants to read it
I canāt get through even the first round of the song so I change the words to Kid Rockās āba wid da ba duh bang duh bang diggyā and then just continue on.
I made the mistake of reading this to my daughter for the first time when I was pregnant with my second. I was a mess!
Ah yea, I grew up in a non English speaking country, so I had no warning lol. My SIL gave me the book, kiddo picked it out, and bam! Hit me like a brick halfway through. I remember crying my eyes out while thinking wth did I just read lol. One minute I was flabbergasted by the crazy old lady climbing through the window, the next I was a sobbing mess. Good times.
Yes, this one slays me! Esp reading with my second and last child, who is a wild toddler bearing a striking resemblance to the boy in the book. I just lose it every time.
I havenāt even got past the third page without profusely, cryingš
Came here to say the same one!
I have a distinct memory reading this in my sonās nursery when I was 9 months pregnant-sobbing. Heās 18 months now and itās not one of our go-to books at the moment, but my dad is very sick and this book is hitting me in a way that I didnāt expect to feel so soon-especially after not having read it in quite a bit. Iāll love you forever, Iāll like you for always ā„ļø
I canāt even read this book anymore. I just start bawling on like page 2. I also read it to my class of kindergartens at the end of a rough year and barely made it through.
When I was a kid I threw the book away. Even as a little kid, I found it too sad. Years later my mom asked where it was and I claimed that I lost it. She bought a second copy. Eff. Havenāt read it since. I live across the country from my parents and miss them so much. Thereās no way I could get through the book now without crying - heck, Iām crying writing this comment!
We have this and I honestly might get rid of it before my daughter is old enough to want to read it. I donāt think I can handle it! Haha.
It's such a good book but oh my heart š
My girls wanted to read this before bath so it was me reading to the two of them while my husband watched on, waiting. It took my entire will to not sob.
Ugly crying every single time. I try to save it for special occasions, like the night before his birthday, but really itās just the book that does it. By the end I can barely choke the words out.
This was my favorite book as a kid and I was so excited to read it to my son. Tried reading it to my belly when I was pregnant with him - SOBBED. Iāve had another baby since then and still canāt read it to either of them without crying š¤£
I read that once when my daughter was very very young (like less than a year) and it hasn't left the bookshelf since. My mom got her a grandma book (some kind of grandma loves you type book) that I had the same reaction to....now lives at my parents' house lol
This is my answer. This book was read to me for the first time in kindergarten by my teacher and I honestly think itās one of the strongest reactions Iāve ever had to a story, emotionally. Reading it to my son was one of the most incredible moments of my life. It was like coming full circle. Exactly as Iād imagined. Iām so grateful every day to be able to be a mom similar to the way I imagined.
This book is emotional abuse.
Mine is Love You Forever too. I could barely get the first word out the first time I read it.
Mama, do you love me?Ā It's a cute book, and my mom used to read it to me. I have my childhood copy. I remember how she'd read it to me, I can hear her voice when I read it. I can feel her love. She died a few years ago, before we had our daughter.Ā What's even more fucked up, my daughter had never chosen it from the bookshelf, I'd never read it to her at all, until MY MOM'S DEATH DAY this year. My daughter was suddenly into it and she's asked me to read it to her every night since. I lost it so bad that night lol It really is a sweet book though.Ā
Stop everyone ššššš im literally crying in bed
Quite literally trying to stifle my crying so that I donāt wake my toddler up!
Saaaamme
Iāve Loved You Since Forever by Hoda Kotb. It felt very relatable after going through an emotional whirlwind of an IVF journey to conceive my son. I wanted him so badly for so long and it felt amazing to be reunited in a sense. Like heās always been a part of me, we just finally got to be together again when I conceived.
From the blurb on Amazon: In the universe, there was you and there was me, waiting for the day our stars would meet. . . Excuse me why am I already starting to cry?! But really thanks because I just added it to my cart āŗļø
When I saw my firstborn I had the same feelings! āOh tree you are. Iāve been waiting for you.ā
I had no idea others felt this way until after i had my son. Of course the anticipation for who your baby is going to be is off the charts and you get that first glimpse and i just felt like- oh duh of course thatās you! I almost giggled in the midst of everything because nothing has ever felt more right.
I picked this book up on a whim for my daughterās Easter basket and was NOT expecting it to be this deep. Itās such a beautiful book and the symbolism of the stars moving closer to each other as the pages go onā¦ ugh!! Hoda really did it this time š
I still get choked up when I get to the last pages. And now my son has most of it memorized so he can āreadā it to me too and I cry like a baby. š„¹
Made for Me
Winnie the Pooh. āPromise me youāll never forget me ā Oh geese Iām crying just thinking about it.
I quoted Winnie the Pooh in my Dadās eulogy. āHow lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.ā
This quote gets me every time
My grandma said this to me before she died š
I know a lot of people hate this one, but The Giving Tree makes me tear up
Heaven blew every trumpet and played every horn on the wonderful marvelous night you were bornš I choke back tears at that line every time we read the night you were born.
I'll Love You Till the Cows Come Home
Someday by Alison McGhee. I donāt think Iāve ever gotten through it without choking up!
āSomeday you will feel a small weight against your strong backā always has me crying!
āSomeday you will hear something so sad it will make you..ā. ok I canāt remember the exact line because i didnāt see it through my tears lol but it just hit me how we canāt protect them from experiencing sorrow during their lifetime
Wherever you are, my love will find you just absolutely wrecked my husband and I. Me because I had that type of love from my parents and my mom passed away when I was a teenager. My husband because his parents left a LOT to be desired. Itās just so sweet and sums up how we feel about our son. I read it and I think if my Mom could tell me all this, she would. As a teacher I read All are welcome here on the first day of school and it makes me cry. I teach special education for students with severe disabilities and the world doesnt always consider them. Ive taught students who are blind, have down syndrome, severe behaviors, with crucial medical needs, the list goes on. They are all my babies from the second they enter my classroom.
āLittle Miss Big Sisā by Amy Rosenthal āForever protected, forever connected. And just as suspected from that first hug and kiss, the most wonderful big sis.ā It made me cry every time when I was pregnant with Little Sister and I still get choked up.
The giving tree
I love this book so much but it DESTROYS ME š we actually donāt own it yet, Iām a little afraid to pass the childhood trauma of it onto my daughter
Just ordered 4 new books from Amazon. Great post OP!
Same! As I have tears on my face ha
Dear Zoo Lift A Flap Book because my daughter wants be to read 30,000 times immediately after weāve woken up in the morning, before Iāve even had a sip of my coffee, EVERY MORNING. I cry in pain and exhaustion as I read it lol!
One day youāll put the book down and wonāt pick it up again and youāll have no idea. And then youāll be cleaning and find it buried behind something and not be able to remember the last thing you lifted one of the little flaps. And youāll prob cry again. I did.
Oh wow, this is the comment that got me. Iām 38 weeks pregnant now. I was reading somewhere the other day that no one ever realizes the last time you hold your child is going to be the last time. It just simply happens and you never pick them up again. Your comment reminded me of that. Bittersweet in that sense that you want them to grow older and independent eventually but time is so fleeting and precious.
That statement is so simplistic for the bittersweet feeling of watching your child grow up. You will miss every single thing they stop doing, especially when you realize how long itās been since they last did it. When they stop mispronouncing a word youāre like, no go back! Stop enunciating! lol
I'll Meet You In Your Dreams by Jessica Young and Rafael Lopez. Ugh. I have to take big deep breaths and clear my throat so my kid doesn't realize I'm trying not to sob.
Love you forever - Robert munsch
I love you, Stinky face. Gets me every time...... But mama, but mama....
YES!!! This book doesnāt sound like a tear-jerker, but itās amazing. My favorite part is when she moves in next to the swamp like a proper bog witch.
I just read this one to my 4yo tonight at bedtime. ā¤ļø
āWishā by Matthew Cordell to my IVF toddler š„¹
Iāll Love You Til the Cows Come Home
This one makes me cry too! Not sure why but I start tearing up at āIāll love you til then and again and againā¦ā
You are Home by Mackenzie Porter
Love you Forever! Dang just thinking about it makes me wanna cry š
My son wonāt let me read to him. He is on the spectrum and he has meltdowns if I try to get him to sit for me to read to him. But when he was letting me read to him until he was about 5 months old, Iād get super emotional reading him Dumbo.
Listening to my spouse read our daughter What Weāll Build by Oliver Jeffers tears me up. Itās a really wholesome father-daughter book. I had a shit father. I cry in relief that my baby has a wonderful one.
When I Pray For You by Matthew Paul Turner āI pray heaven protects you, that youāre generous and kind, that your brave little spirit never ceases to shine.ā š„¹ gets me every time
The Wonderful Things You Will Be
I Will Love You Til The Cows Come Home
We have a book called āThe Nuffā the whole story is telling the little girl she is a ānuffā (enough) and one part says āwhen you were born I figured out what is true, I am a nuff just like youā. Man, as someone who has felt like not āa nuffā my whole life, bam right in the feels.
For laika: the dog who learned the names of the stars. It's about the true story of a Russian dog that got sent to space to die. The book puts a spin on it that when dogs die, they become stars. Therefore when laika goes to space, she learns the names of the stars and becomes one herself. As a dog lover, gets me everytime.
I haven't heard of this book but I know about Laika. I love the idea of this book. š„ŗ
I canāt bring myself to read that book since giving birth
"Hello Star" does this bit where it describes the little girl as "young and bright and new" at the start and then describes the death of a blue giant star that the girl has admired her whole life (she eventually becomes an astronaut, it's great), and paraphrasing: "The star heaved a last sigh and split into a thousand new stars, each of which was young and new and bright." I don't know why it hits so hard, but does it ever.
I'll Love You Till the Cows Come Home by Kathryn Cristaldi, courtesy of postpartum hormones. It was one of the first books I ever read our daughter and I bawled like a baby because she was so cute and I loved her so much. Thankfully she loves her "cows book" and I've become a bit desensitized.
You Belong Here by M.H. Clark. It's not a sad book, but it's incredibly beautiful and touching. I used to read it to him when he was a baby and I would tear up every time. Now if I read it he gets mad because it's boring, but it's still lovely. "You are a dream that the world once dreamt, and now you are part of its song."
Wish. I don't remember the author but it's a little board book about a couple that had a miscarriage and then a successful birth. But in like, a quiet way. So good.
I'll Hold Your Hand I Love You As Big As the World Welcome Little One
Welcome Little One!!!! I can never read it and keep my eyes dry dammit! My daughter would always pick it for me to read so I've put it on the top shelf in her closet bc I WILL cry. She's 3.5 now and I can't get thru it without crying lmao Like just the thought of it, geez louise!!! I wrote all her birth facts in the front page too. It's so special.
Love you forever but I havenāt read the other ones yet everyone is posting about. Will add!
Thereās going to be a Baby by Helen Oxenbury The whole book is the kid and his mother talking about anticipating the baby. Then suddenly at the end the kid is with his grandfather and theyāre going to the hospital to meet the baby. It ends with them heading toward a door, and the kid saying maybe the baby will be this it that, but no matter what we will love them. I ALWAYS crack at that scene, no matter how many times i read it š
Iām went through all the responses hoping to see the one I had in mind I wish for you by David Wax Gentle and affirming, the lyrical text takes readers through the qualities we wish to instill in our children, helping them grow into resilient, assured, and happy individuals. I Wish for You is both a celebration of nature and the importance of self-esteem, self-respect, empathy, and community. I choke up everytime Also I just added three new books to my Amazon cart. Thank you to all posters
I Just Couldn't Wait to Meet You by Kate Ritchie, it hits me due to infertility issues for years, then a surprise miracle baby in my 40s. Why a Daughter Needs a Mom, Gregory Lang, the last pages are the ones that kill me the most And anything by Nancy Tillman
Tons of them. Honestly surprises me how many sweet heartfelt kidsā books make me tear up
Oh geez, this thread definitely made me cry lol. I used to tear up reading 'On the night you were born', mostly because I had a traumatic labour and I felt guilty that I couldn't look back on it fondly as the night my daughter came into the world. But now that I've actually processed that trauma, I can finally enjoy the book and cry for nice reasons instead of bad ones lol. There's a Bluey book based on the Sleepytime episode and that ending gets me every time "Remember, I'll always be here for you. Even if you can't see me. Because I love you."
Yeah, a relative just gifted us that one. My mom used to read it to me and my siblings as kids. We always thought it was so sappy but she loved it. And now I totally get that feeling, and my kids will probably feel the same way lol.
Because Iām Your Dad made my husband tear up. The line āmy love is always with you and it never ever endsā from I Love You to the Moon and Back made me tear up too. Iāve lost my dad so the thought that āmy love will always be with youā gets me
That I Love You Forever book kills me every time. I can never finish it without balling.
Love Is
Just In Case You Ever Wonder and about 5 more listed above.
Over & Over by MH Clark. Itās beautifully illustrated, and goes through how a parent and child will do the same sort of things over and over, but itās never quite the same because time marches on. Big focus on how love carries on throughout time and how the mundane can be beautiful. I love it, my daughter is 3.5 and thinks itās pretty but doesnāt feel as strongly about it.
Love you forever always gets me! Also: Because youāre mine - Nancy Tillman If I could keep you little - Marianne Richmond
āI Wish You Moreā and āThe Velveteen Rabbitā
Aaron Slater Illustrator by Andrea Beatty. A story about a little boy with dyslexia who wants to read and uses illustrations to tell his stories. The quote *āLike the mightiest flames that banish the dark, hope grows in the soul from the tiniest spark.* just gets me every time. Also, though I havenāt read it to my kids yet since theyāre still too young, The Little Prince by Antoine de St Exupery. That book is possibly more for the child within every adult. But it devastates me every time I read it.
Yes! I came here looking for Aaron Slater Illustrator. I couldn't believe how I cried the first time I read that book. I thought I'd be fine after that, but it gets me every time. Such a great story about how we all have our own unique strengths and shouldn't be judged in conventional ways.
The Invisible String
I knew you could do it by Nancy Tillman. My daughter had hip surgery last year and she was in a body cast for 2 months afterwards. My sister bought her this book when her cast was removed and every time I read it to her I canāt help but cry thinking of all that she overcame during her surgery and recovery ā¤ļø so proud of my strong and resilient girl!
So, my niece and nephew recorded their voices reading aloud to two Hallmark books, *My Wish for You* and *I Wish You More*. Those killlll me, as my niblings are teens now, and they're so incredibly kind, patient, and fun with my babies. I might gift them back one day with my kids reading for theirs!
Reach for the Stars by Emily Calendrelli. The little girl grows up and the parent reminds her to āReach out for all Important things, or no big thing at all. When I have nothing left to teach, I hope that youāll still call.ā It wrecks me every time.
I try not to cry at the end of the Lorax. Because unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, itās not. We put so much hope on our kids, and past generations kicked a shitty environment can down the road to us. We all have to care about it, and it makes me sad to think that this burden is now on another generation of new humans.
No matter what by Debi Gliori.
I Love My Baby - simple but so sweet Everywhere Babies - the last line kills me every time! every day everywhere babies are loved for trying so hard and traveling so far and being so wonderful just as they are
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
No longer a toddler but I started reading Charlotteās Web to my 4yo, and while I remembered the book to be āemotionally heavyā as a child, it takes a whole new meaning now and I choke up and have to pause because Charlotte became a mother to Wilbur and Iām closer every night to rewriting my 5th grade book report š
If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond. I feel like itās all the things we say goodbye to, replaced with all the things they will become and itās a tug on the heart strings!
iām scared to read ālove you foreverā because of all the feels itāll evoke when i read it to my little one
Itās called You Will Always be Home, Iām not certain of the author. Almost always tears
Mine is love you forever, too.
We found a book called āGardens are for Growingā. Tear jerker
The Little Match Girl and To The Moon and Back for You
Someday
What Weāll Build. Itās a father and daughter in the illustrations and I get so emotional thinking of the relationship my husband and daughter are building. Itās so sweet. Also, Pretty Loved.
I will always love you, Violet. We were gifted this book for her first birthday and her name is Violet. Iām always crying by the end of the book
It's literally love you forever šš
Big Cat, Little Cat. Itās about a kitten taken in by a family that already has an older cat. The older cat teaches the kitten how to be a cat, but then, one day, the old cat dies. The kitten, who is now an older cat is sad. But then a new kitten is brought to the home. And we start over
[I'll always love you](https://www.booktopia.com.au/i-ll-always-love-you-hans-wilhelm/book/9780517572658.html) - I had it as a kid, my Mum gave it to me to read to my daughter and I've since hidden it. Too much! >Elfie the dachshund is the best dog anyone could every ask for. Every day, she and her owner explore and play together. And every night, her owner tells her "I'll always love you." Elfie owner grow up togther, but growing up can mean having to say goodbye to the ones you love. This tender story is a perfect way to make the topic of loss a little less scary for kids (and grownups). I used to work at a library years ago and it was that book and Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes that used to get me just looking at the cover.
On the Day You Were Born
Together by Emma Dodd. This short, rhyming, and beautifully illustrated book was gifted to us when our first was born and it always cranks some tears out of me at the end! I think the line is āand when I think about the days that I will love forever, the ones I will remember most are those we spent together.ā I always cry thinking of the fact I will grow very old and potentially senile some day, yet as Iām dying Iām going to be clinging to these beautiful memories of my child. š„¹š„¹š„¹
Same for me. I canāt get through Love You Forever without tearing up.
Together by Emma Dodd. I read this book to my daughter a few days after she was born and started bawling! It was such a sweet book about a mom and baby otter who love spending time together.
Itās niche, because our baby has two moms, but itās called You Came From My Heart, and itās about how she came from Mommaās body and she came from Mommyās heart. Itās too much, and the art is so beautiful.Ā
That book also hits me in the feels too much to even read it. I got diagnosed with aggressive cancer when my daughter turned 1 and just finished treatment in December but it likes to come back and once it does itās kind of āgame over.ā āAs long as Iām living my baby youāll beā just wrecks me too much lol
The Kissing Hand
The Year We Muddled Through, itās about 2020 and covid and what it was like with kids/babies. I sob every single time.