Guess How Much I Love You

by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram

Theme: Love (March 2015)

“I love you to the moon and back”, says Little Nut Brown Hare. Since its first publication in 1994,
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney has become a favourite with children and
families all over the world. Love, as the Little Hare discovers is not an easy thing to measure!

Key Message for Parents

The best learning happens in nurturing relationships
Children have better outcomes when they have relationships that are consistent, warm and loving.
 Make time every day for stories, songs and play
 Include your child in daily jobs and routines around the house
 Join your local playgroup and together make new friends.

Learning Outcomes
Outcome 4: Children Are Confident and Involved Learners
We help children become confident learners by:
 Providing learning experiences which are open ended and begin with a child’s own
knowledge
 Encourage thinking strategies like problem solving or prediction. Picture books are a perfect
medium for this
 Listen carefully to children’s ideas and reflections. By responding positively we are
validating and recognizing their achievements.
Welcome
Ask carers to write nametags for themselves and their babies.
Welcome everyone, introduce yourself, remind adults to turn their mobile phones off and that there
will be time for adults to chat after the story and songs.

Welcome Song (or your preferred song)

Have the words available as a handout or written on a board or butcher’s paper for the adults to
read and join in.

Good Morning
Good morning to you
Good morning to you
Good morning everybody
And welcome to you!

Song

Hop Hippity Hop! By Justine Clarke

Hop hippity hop hippity hop

Hop hippity hop hippity hop

Hop hippity hop hippity hop
Hop
It’s good enough for kangaroos

It’s good enough for fleas

So get your body nice and loose…And hop along with me!
Hop hippity hop hippity hop

Hop hippity hop hippity hop!

Go to www.justineclarke.com.au for all the lyrics and music.

Before Reading
Today’s story is about a little hare called Little Nut Brown Hare - our story is called Guess How
Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and is illustrated by Anita Jeram.
Talk briefly with the children about the theme of love and invite them to share some of their
thoughts and feelings around this topic. It might be useful to have some images to support this
discussion. You might like to share photos of your family, or very special people.
Let’s look at the cover…what is Little Nut Brown Hare doing?
During Reading
Through line and colour, Anita Jeram’s exquisite illustrations bring the story to life. Take time to
pause and reflect on the illustrations; for example you might ask, why Little Nut Brown Hare stands
upside down? Or why Big Nut Brown Hare swings him up over his head? There are only two
“voices” in Guess How Much I Love You; that of Little Nut Brown Hare and that of Big Nut Brown
Hare. You might like to bring these characters to life by using a slightly different voice for each
one. Have Fun!

After Reading
Reflect on what the story teaches us and discuss ways in which love might be expressed or
conveyed i.e. with a cuddle or a card or a simple gesture of kindness.
It might be fun to ask the children to try some of little nut brown Hare’s antics! Can the children
stand up and see how far they can reach up on tippy toes?
How wide they can stretch out their arms? Can they hop and bounce? Then curl up in a ball and
pretend to go to sleep like Little nut Brown Hare?

Activity Time:
Love Card
This simple activity is “hands on!” and lots of
fun!

What you need:

 Scissors
 Pencils and markers
 Long piece of ribbon or paper
 Sticky tape
 Coloured paper or card
Image from
This activity requires parents and children to work together. www.momspotted.com

 Firstly get an adult to trace around both of the child’s hands.

 Next cut out the hands out and write “I love you” on both hands. The hands could be
decorated with stickers, markers etc
 Next attach the long strip of paper which has “This Much” written on it. This piece is
carefully folded concertina style and the other hand is attached.
 Decorate and give to someone you love!
Extension Ideas
 There are many educational resources available for Guess How Much I Love You on
Walker Book’s website www.walkerbooks.com.au If you click on Kids Corner there is a
selection of activities and colouring sheets ready to download

 Play a guessing game to get to know the children in the group! Choose a child and take
turns guessing what pet they have, what their favourite colour might be, what they have for
breakfast. A fun way to get to know each other!

 Fill a jar with hearts – can the children guess how many are inside? When they leave the
story session you might like to give them a heart each to take home!

 Have fun measuring each other’s arms or feet using string. You could also guess how many
footsteps it would take to the door. Get the children to have a guess then walk it out to
discover the answer!

Goodbye
Conclude the session with some suggestions of relevant books that parents might want to borrow.
The Little Big Book Club recommends the following books to support learning in this area -

 Samuel’s kisses by Karen Collum and Serena Geddes

 The Runaway Hug by Nick Bland and Freya Blackwood
 Kisses For Daddy by Frances Watt and David Legge

Goodbye Song
Depending on the size of your group, you may wish to insert each child’s name in the place of ‘you’
as it develops a more personal relationship between yourself, the child and the family.

Sung to the tune of (Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush) or your preferred choice.

Goodbye
This is the way we say goodbye (use a waving action)
Say goodbye, say goodbye
This is the way we say goodbye
To all our library friends (or)) (to our friend……)!