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Original poster

Which children's books give you a lump in your throat?

132 replies

Orinoco · 03/05/2006 20:42

I've just been reading "Can't you sleep, Little Bear" to dd's and I nearly cried! Silly sentimental moment about giving your children the moon!

What innocuous(sp!) children's books have had you blubbing?

OP posts:
blueshoes · 04/05/2006 13:25

Any story by Hans Christian Andersen - the Little Mermaid, the Little Match Stick Girl, the Gift of the Magi, the Little Red Shoes, the Robin and the Rose - gosh I feel suicidal now ...

KTeePee · 04/05/2006 13:10

Dogger for me too....

bakedpotato · 04/05/2006 13:06

The Runaway Bunny
Goodnight Moon
I Want To See the Moon (incredibly touching, even though the premise a small child wakes up in the middle of the night demanding entertainment gives me the shudders)

for me the killer is Holly and Ivy (Rumer Godden). I put it down to the timetravel sensation of encountering a book you almost forgot about. Add in Christmas/ snow/poverty/orphans and so on... sob

JonesTheSteam · 04/05/2006 12:59

I agree on the Railway Children. That bit where she shouts 'Daddy, oh my Daddy' gets me every time (in fact I'm welling up just thinking about it!!!)

Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant always makes me howl.

PinkKerPlink · 04/05/2006 12:58

Well I must be incredibly hard faced because I dont cry at any

I do cry at verses in birthday cards though, and even cried at some of the cards my Gran got recently. i think i upset herShock

Marina · 04/05/2006 12:57

No, but we love Russell Hoban's Frances books dino.
The Happy Prince! Have only read that once with ds and blubbed shamelessly at the end.

dinosaure · 04/05/2006 12:55

Has anyone ever read "The Mouse and His Child" by Russell Hoban - unbearably sad.

loganberrys · 04/05/2006 12:52

Oh I'm no good with weepy stories.This thread has brought a teer to my eyes.I 'll second guess how much I love you.Has anyone mentioned 'the happy prince'? No one surely could red that out loud without weeping.I know what is going to happen in it but cry every time I read it.

bundle · 04/05/2006 12:40

Marina, not "Daddy oh my Daddy"

Marina · 04/05/2006 10:55

Definitely The Railway Children "Daddy, oh my daddy". It's not just what is on the page, but also Jenny Agutter's face in the film...
And Michael Rosen's The Sad Book.
But for me the worst of all is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey...with wonderful illustrations by PJ Lynch, this is a real choker.
And for all sorts of reasons I just cannot get through Away in a Manger without crying...

joelalie · 04/05/2006 10:41
Sad

This is making me well up.....and I'm supposed to be at work...

puddle · 04/05/2006 10:23

Peepo
Annie rose is my little sister
The baby who wouldn't go to bed
Lots of winnie the pooh because it reminds me of my dad

Some books make me emotional when I read them with dd because I read them with ds and can still see his chubby baby hands pointing at the pictures and remember what he said every timeI read certain bits - Laura's Christmas star does this even though the story isn't sad.

Hausfrau · 04/05/2006 10:18

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Hausfrau · 04/05/2006 10:15

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Enid · 04/05/2006 10:14
Shock

is the pope a catholic? Grin

hannahsaunt · 04/05/2006 10:13

Oooooooooooh! We're going to see a production of the Velveteen Rabbit the day before we leave Oz. Picked it purely because it's on in the opera house which makes ds2 shake with excitement every time he sees it. Know nothing about the story. Is it desperately sad?

Enid · 04/05/2006 09:55

The velveteen rabbit

impossible to read

poppiesinaline · 04/05/2006 09:44

Another vote for Guess How Much I Love You. The first time I read that to DS1 I was pregnant with DD and full of hormones and when I read the last page I was sobbing Blush DS1 gave me a very odd look!

Blackduck · 04/05/2006 09:41

Nothing by Mick Inkpen
Guess how much I love you

Bugsy2 · 04/05/2006 09:30

Mog the Cat dying
Guess how much I love you
The house at Pooh Corner - the last chapter when Christopher Robin tries to explain about growing up to Pooh Bear.

batters · 04/05/2006 08:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pudmog · 04/05/2006 08:39

The Selfish giant by Oscar Wilde- I only have to see the cover and I start bawling.

throckenholt · 04/05/2006 08:39

I love snail and the whale - great story and great rhythm.

saadia · 04/05/2006 08:21

Snail and the Whale brings a tear to my eye - the end bit: "on crawled snail after snail after snail" always does it for me.

schneebly · 04/05/2006 08:06

Guess how much I love you? I bought it before DS1 was born and have been reading it to him since he was in the womb! I did the same for DS2. They get it every night after another story of DS2's choice and then a special song that my mum sang to me before sleep. (soppy, I know!)