The Snail and the Whale... sniff

[BlueRaincoat1]

I have a 4 yr old and a 19 month old. DH bought the Snail and the Whale in the supermarket the other day, we have a few Julia Donaldson books but I'd never read this one before.
Was busy reading it to the 19 month old, I was liking the nice flowing rhymes, when it got to the bit about the Snail saving the Whale- I had to stop for about 30 seconds to compose myself. Wtf? And then I stayed pretty choked up til the end. And the exact same thing happened when I read it again.
Please tell me I'm not alone - does anyone else find this book emotional? It's taken me very by surprise, the Gruffalo and A Squash and a Squeeze don't have this affect!

Can't say The Snail and The Whale has ever made me cry, but On the Night you Were Born made me full on sob when my eldest was a baby, and I agree with the previous poster about The Lion Inside, and also Library Lion- something about the lion waiting outside the library in the rain gets me every time!

The granny, for me, is my mum. Who is not here anymore but will always be there for us in our memories with all the other beautiful memoriea we make. Shes not forgotten even by my babies. The paperdolls get cut up, they dont really stick back together , they travel into the little girls memory. And then I will be that granny for my little girls girl.

Love reading The Snail and The Whale to my class of pre schoolers - the incredible detail in the pictures gives so much to talk about - never have time to be sad 🥰

I loved the Snail and the Whale but I don't think it made me cry.
Never read Paper Dolls.. but I can't believe no-ones mentioned Dogger yet! I used to cry every single time I read it to DS.

I’m reading Harry Potter to my 10 year old and have to stop sometimes to stop myself getting emotional. When my kids were tiny I was always tearing up at books. It’s so fecking ridiculous.

Guess how much i love you always makes me choke up i love it though

@happy97 it's just such a lovely book, and the end when the son holds his mum then his own baby- how lovely sad!

A blueberry girl by Neil Gaiman! My daughter doesn’t really like it (she’s only 6) but I love love love it and tear up every time she lets me read it to her.

Yes to Stick Man and also The Smartest Giant in Town - he is so kind it always makes me weepy.

@TitianaTitsling I was given that book when my eldest was born. The end is very moving. But I couldn't get past the fact the mother drove across town and climbed a ladder into her grown up son's bedroom to rock him..!??! My mother-in-law is totally capable of this though, so maybe that's why I'm not so keen on the book ;)

@Charley50, yes to Dogger. Kindness - or rather acts of kindness - always make me cry!

I made the mistake of buying the snail and the whale for my eldest whilst pregnant with my 2nd, I couldn’t get through it without crying. It was the ending!

Thanks @Clackyheels, that’s a lovely way to look at it

The Green Ship by Quentin Blake.

When the old lady steers the ship through the storm until morning.

This. Used to get a lump in my throat at the turn of every page

Butterfly have you seen So beautiful!

Rosie's Hat which is also a Julia D book I think.
I'm glad it's not just me that weeps at kids books.

Tried to read Love You Forever (Robert Munsch) to my baby last night and literally started sobbing! Had to put the book away!

Snail and the Whale ruins me every single time as does Peepo.

The Snail and the What is beautiful. I haven't cried but I don't judge you.

Dogger makes me cry every time, though. "And then Bella did a very kind thing..."

I get a bit sobby at stick man.

My son got really upset when he watched the tv adaptation of it, like proper, inconsolable upset. I think it was the first time he realised that people could lose their parents. He is quite a sensitive soul.

A recent Julia Donaldson favourite of ours is The Smeds and the Smoos... very profound and relevant in today's world where people aren't very nice to each other.

Rosie’s Hat! I had forgotten about that one! I think I avoided reading it as I couldn’t get through it!

For older children Louis Sachar There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom, cannot finish it without a crack in my voice and have to stop reading it aloud to my child while I compose myself and they ask “mum, are you crying?” ...yes, I’m crying , of course I’m crying, it’s the saddest thing I’ve ever read you heartless child!

Lost and Found - beautiful book and the TV adaptation gets me every time.

Also, Not Now Bernard is simply not funny but a shocking indictment of our times! Gets me every time