In an ideal gift for little ones, the family classic Guess How Much I Love You and its sequel, Will You Be My Friend?, nestle together in a beautifully designed boxed set. It's the book that gave rise to the words "I love you right up to the moon--and back"--a phrase that's now in the common vernacular. This tale of a big and little hare who boast of loving each other as high as they can hop and as wide as they can reach has been adored by a generation of children who've begun sharing it with their own. Twenty-five years after the Nutbrown Hares met the world, creators Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram brought us the perfect companion--the story of Little Nutbrown Hare's jubilant steps toward independence after meeting a new friend. Now, in an elegant slipcase, Guess How Much I Love You and Will You Be My Friend? find a special spot together on bookshelves--a pairing sure to be coveted by big and little readers for generations to come.

サム・マクブラットニィが描くこの物語は、愛という抽象的な概念を「距離」や「身体動作」へと昇華させた、極めて文学的な傑作です。デカウサギとチビウサギのやり取りは、単なる親子の会話を超え、言葉の限界に挑む哲学詩の趣さえ漂わせています。アニタ・ジェラームの繊細な挿絵と相まって、読者の心に「無償の愛」の重みを静かに、かつ情熱的に刻み込みます。 アニメ化作品では豊かな色彩と躍動感が補完されていますが、原作の真髄は「読者の声」が介在する親密な儀式性にあります。映像が広大な世界観を提示する一方で、書籍は沈黙と余白の中に、月まで届くほどの深い情愛を封じ込めています。メディアを越えて響き合うこの物語は、自立への一歩を優しく祝福する、人生の指針とも呼べる輝きを放っています。