Author and Trinity alumnus Sam McBratney, best known for his much-loved children’s classic Guess How Much I Love You, has died at the age of 77. The Belfast-born author, who died on Friday, September 18th, is survived by his wife of 56 years, Maralyn, three children and six grandchildren.
Over the course of his career, McBratney wrote more than fifty books for children and young adults. Following his degree in history and political science at Trinity, McBratney worked as a teacher for 20 years before taking an early retirement to focus on writing full-time. He is most widely known for his best-selling children’s book Guess How Much I Love You, first published by Walker Books in 1994. The classic picture book has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 57 languages.
Guess How Much I Love You is the charming bedtime tale of two nutbrown hares who try to express their affection for each other. In approximately 400 words, McBratney – alongside Anita Jeram’s soft artwork – communicates the many ways one can say “I love you”. Jeram’s quaint watercolour pictures beautifully illustrate and embellish the charming children’s tale. “When writing about the hares, I aim to describe moments of emotional significance but, with loads of humour and the lightest of touches”, McBratney once said about crafting the book . “This story is about one of those moments. Little Nutbrown Hare’s world suddenly glows with the discovery of friendship”.
Guess How Much I Love You is widely remembered for ending with the now well-known and heart-warming phrase “I love you to the moon and back”. Walker Books has since described the phrase as having “taken on an iconic status”. Popular as a gift for young children and new parents, the book has become a staple in many family homes with sales continuing to climb since its publication in 1994. It’s frequently listed among the most popular and best-selling children’s books of all time, and also inspired an animated TV show, a stage play and many toys based on the iconic story.
During his life, McBratney described the simple intent behind the tale as being “a light-hearted little story designed to help a big one and a wee one enjoy the pleasure of being together”.
Many of McBratney’s friends and colleagues at Walter Books have expressed their sorrow at his passing. Karen Lotz, managing director of Walter Books described McBratney as “a profoundly lovely human being” in a statement on Monday. Character publisher with Walter Books, Donna Cassanova, said that she felt “an immense sense of pride, and privilege, to have worked for so long with such a master of his craft”.
The timeless charm of McBratney’s Guess How Much I Love You is evident given it’s ever-growing popularity over 25 years on from its initial publication. The sequel, Will You Be My Friend?, is due to be published later this month.
