i remember reading this in the school library way back in grade school and decided to pick it up again after seeing the now viral post on twitter and i can definitely understand the polarizing takes. on one end of the spectrum, i appreciate the sentiment and overall tender message this children’s book is trying to convey. it’s more for parents who understand wanting to hold your baby at every age & the heartache of being unable to do so once you’ve grown too old. on the other end, i can also see why taking this literally could paint disturbing images.

imo, i don’t think it’s that serious? it’s silly, childish and is meant to be ridiculously sweet on purpose; almost as silly to me as the way the metaphor seems to fly over some heads