How Long Is Forever? [Hardcover]

Fans of Guess How Much I Love You will love figuring out how long forever is alongside Mason and Grandpa.

Mason is waiting for Nana's blueberry pie and complains that it's taking forever. So Grandpa challenges him to figure out how long forever really is. Is it as long as Grandpa has had his tractor? No. As long as it took Nana to grow the roses to the top of the chimney? Not even close. After a trip around the farm to figure out the answer, Nana's pie is ready. And Mason's finally got the answer: forever is how long he'll love Nana's pie and how long he'll love Nana and Grandpa, too.Forever is a long time to wait. Mason grumbles that waiting for Nana's blueberry pie is taking forever. Amused—and eager to distract his grandson—Grandpa asks Mason if he knows how long forever is. Has Grandpa owned his tractor forever? Did it take forever for Nana's roses to grow up to the chimney? Is it as long as water has been racing down the stream ? Forever must be as long as the great elm tree has been here. Nope, says Grandpa, but waiting's over; pie's ready! After devouring a slice, Mason declares it was worth the wait. Now, his understanding is clearer. Forever, he asserts, is how long he'll love Nana's pie. Even better—it's how long he'll love Grandpa and Nana. This simple story sweetly portrays a realistic, loving relationship. Listeners on laps or in group settings will eagerly volunteer examples of how long forever is and when they had to wait for desired things. Commendably, the tale helps youngsters approach an abstract math concept—time—concretely and creatively. The watercolor-and-colored pencil illustrations are warm and expressive, depicting lush backgrounds. Mason has light-brown skin; his grandparents' skin is pale. Grandpa has stark white hair and white facial hair; Nana looks less stereotypical, with a blonde bob and red specs. The author provides a linlӞ