The open-ended exploration of immeasurable affection that author Sam McBratney and illustrator Anita Jeram first probed three decades ago in Guess How Much I Love You continues to warm the hearts of parents and young ones across the globe. And though unconditional love may be difficult to quantify, the numbers generated by this picture book attest to the ongoing popularity of Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare’s playfully and poignantly hyperbolic pledges of mutual love.
Guess How Much I Love You, released in the U.K. by Walker Books in 1994 and in the U.S. by Candlewick Press the following year, has been published in 57 languages and has sold 60 million copies worldwide across various formats. The picture book was named a 1996 ALA Notable Children’s Book and appeared on the National Education Association’s list of Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children, compiled from a 2007 online poll.
McBratney and Jeram collaborated on several subsequent picture books for Candlewick, including 2004’s You’re All My Favorites, in which Mommy and Daddy Bear convince their three worried cubs that there’s plenty of love to go around; and a series of seasonal-themed picture books starring the Nutbrown Hares, which were eventually combined in a single volume entitled Guess How Much I Love You All Year Round, published in 2022.
The beloved hare duo has also been featured in a 2011 animated TV show that aired for several seasons in multiple countries, as well as in a line of licensed products that includes infant and baby clothing, nursery bedding, and toys. And a quarter-century after their debut in Guess How Much I Love You, Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare reappeared in a sequel, Will You Be My Friend?, in which the younger hare goes exploring solo and discovers a new friend. Sadly, McBratney died a few weeks before the book’s September 2000 release.
Let the Anniversary Celebration Begin
Candlewick recently set in motion a wave of commemorations of Guess How Much I Love You’s 30 years in print. In September, the publisher issued the debut ebook edition of the title and this month will roll out a trailer showcasing the brand’s various editions, revealed here for the first time.
Also in the works is a Guess How Much I Love You deluxe anniversary event kit, due out on January 21, 2025, to help indies host events. The kit contains a Big Book edition of the title, for story times and group readings; a 25-pack of “I Am Loved Right Up to the Moon—and Back!” stickers; a branded photo frame for sharing on social media; a QR code with event ideas and reproducible activity sheets; a keepsake poster showcasing global editions of Guess How Much I Love You; and free use of a Nutbrown Hare costume, available through Costume Specialists. Additionally, a limited-edition print signed by Jeram will be raffled off on social media and sent to influencers.
“I’ve long admired Guess How Much I Love You, both for the incredible alchemy of Sam’s words and Anita’s artwork and also for how thoughtfully and expertly Walker and Candlewick created and maintained what has become a beloved global phenomenon,” said Belinda Rasmussen, president and publisher of Walker Books Group, of marking the book’s three-decade milestone. “It is an honor to now be the one tending to this rich and storied brand.”
