“I’ll love you forever.”
Those words from one of iconic children’s author Robert Munsch’s most beloved books are perhaps a good way to describe how readers from Guelph, Ont., feel about the writer.Â
Best known for titles like The Paper Bag Princess, Love You Forever and Mud Puddle, Munsch has called the city of Guelph, about an hour’s drive west of Toronto, home for the past 50 years.Â
During his time in the city, he has worked at the University of Guelph’s department of family studies and applied nutrition. He received an honourary degree from the university in June 2000.
“Robert Munsch books are always the most popular,” said Dan Atkins, CEO of the Guelph Public Library.
He says Put Me in a Book! is the Munsch book most frequently checked out at the library. A close second is No Clean Clothes.
WATCH| Guelph readers share their love for Robert Munsch and his books:
Guelph readers share their love for Robert Munsch and his books
People around the world are talking about children’s book author Robert Munsch after an interview he did with the New York Times was published last weekend in which he talked about being approved for medical assistance in dying or MAID. As tributes poured in for the author, Munsch’s family clarified there are no immediate plans to Munsch to go through MAID. Munsch has deep roots in Guelph, where he’s lived and worked for about 50 years. CBC K-W’s Craig Norris and Aastha Shetty took a trip to the Guelph Public Library to hear more from readers who were happy to share their love for the popular author and his childrens’ books.
Interest in the author and his books is high after a recent New York Times article in which Munsch said he has been approved for medical assistance in dying — or MAID. Â
In 2021, Munsch told CBC’s Shelagh Rogers that he had ongoing dementia.
“I can’t drive, I can’t ride a bicycle, I can’t write. So it’s been really whittling away on who I thought I was,” he told CBC at the time. “My stories, strangely enough, are all there. The stories will be the last thing to go, I think.”
In the wake of the article, tributes to the author started pouring in. His daughter, Julie Munsch, hopped on social media last week to clarify that her father isn’t dying. In a post shared on the official Robert Munsch Facebook page, she said he made his choice to use MAID five years ago. She emphasized that her father is still doing well and isn’t going to die “anytime soon.”
‘Every Robert Munsch character is flawed’
“A Robert Munsch title is is often the first book that a parent reads to a child,” Atkins said, reflecting on the depth in each of the stories.
“Every Robert Munsch character is flawed. I think we can start to see our own flaws in those characters. Particularly from a child’s standpoint, but also from a parent standpoint… You don’t experience that a lot in in children’s literature.”
Brian Holstein is the host of a tradition in Guelph called Tea ‘n’ Tales — a regular summer storytelling event held at the Enabling Garden in Riverside Park for the past 18 years.
Munsch has been an esteemed part of the storytelling crew and every time he shows up he attracts a crowd of hundreds of people.
“Two years ago we had over well over 1,000 people come,” Holstein said.
“Another year when he was still signing books, he had a two hour wait and people were willing to wait in line to say hello, have a book signed by Robert and have their photograph taken with him.”
Robert Munsch has a 50-year legacy working and volunteering in the city of Guelph, Ont. (Scholastic Canada)
He says Munsch is a true storyteller on stage.
“Robert does not read the stories. He’s a storyteller. He tells the story, and there’s no book in front of him. There’s no script, no teleprompter… It’s a performance.”
Holstein says the hundreds of people who come to see Munsch perform in Guelph are sometimes coming from far away. There have been visitors from all over the country — and all over the world, including the United States, England, Sweden and Australia.
Veronica Tonga grew up reading books by Robert Munsch. She’s excited to pass on her love for them to her seven-month-old daughter Matilda, whose favourite book is The Paper Bag Princess. (Aastha Shetty/CBC)’Big part of my upbringing’
For Veronica Tonga, who grew up in Guelph, Munsch books were a childhood staple.
“He would do readings at the River Run Centre. That would always be a big event… He was always so fantastic.”
Tonga is ready to pass her love for the books onto the next generation, to her seven-month-old daughter Matilda.
“We have so many Robert Munsch books. We go to the library to check them out,” she said.
“For our baby shower we requested exclusively Robert Munsch books because we love him so much and he was such a big part of my upbringing.”
Nora O’Regan loves reading Love You Forever by Robert Munsch to her niece. (Aastha Shetty/CBC)
Nora O’Regan grew up reading the books at the Guelph Public Library — and she’s still a big fan. Her favourite is Love You Forever.
“I just think it’s sweet because it has a baby in the book and I can also read this to to my niece too,” she said.
“I [want to] tell him that your books are amazing and you’re and it’s kind of cool how you love to make a lot of jokes in your books. It’s so funny.”
Reading Munsch books together is also a fun activity for Guelph resident Jordan Zalis and his son Myko.
“When we heard that Munsch is from [Guelph] and would do local appearances and things like that, we fell back in love with some of the stories,” he said.
Jordan Zalis and his son Myko are often at the Guelph Public Library, reaching for books by children’s author Robert Munsch. (Aastha Shetty/CBC)
“Reading is [Myko’s] favorite thing in the world. He literally wakes up and he says ‘More books.’ So if people like Munsch contribute to this wealth of literature and storytelling that I loved growing up… it makes the world a better place.”
LISTEN| Guelph Public Library holds a special connection to author Robert Munsch:
The Morning Edition – K-WGuelph Public Library holds a special connection to author Robert Munsch
CBC K-W’s Craig Norris took a trip to the Guelph Public Library yesterday to meet with CEO Dan Atkins to talk about beloved children’s author Robert Munsch. We hear why the children’s author is so important to the city.