Guess How much I love you－高塔上的公主

今天在誠品看到這一本『Guess how much I love you』，讓我想起以前在幼稚園工作的點點滴滴。我帶的孩子只有四歲往五歲邁進的範圍，這年紀的孩子剛脫離小班時代以自我為中心的生活方式，開始學著和旁人和平共處，四歲的他們知道合作比單打獨鬥更快享受成果。

三歲可以吃吃喝喝過一天，四歲五歲的孩子這樣會不會太無聊了一點，四歲的孩子開始會思考較為複雜的關係，六歲大班的孩子已經是思想成熟等著入小學，他們只需要將在幼稚園所學到的根基帶到國小去，大班的孩子正在開始適應沒有老師幫忙換衣服、幫忙餵藥、盯著用餐的日子(其實我也蠻想不透的，家長會在幼稚園階段拜託老師餵藥、換衣服、盯用餐，可是到了小學好像沒有家長敢要求老師這樣做，就好像告訴孩子這一切都是你的命了…雖然這是我可以負擔的工作範圍，不過，要孩子馬上習慣沒人理的日子好像有點殘忍)

總覺得人越大越不容易說出我愛你這樣的句子，有一次下課時間，聽到一位大班的小朋友對著一位外籍老師說『I love you，Teacher Tina』，一群孩子馬上在旁喊著『阿悠…』讓說的孩子一臉紅通通的站著，被說I love you的外籍老師不知道旁邊的孩子在起什麼鬨，什麼時候起I love you 被披上這麼多的色彩，I love you 不應該只是存在男歡女愛中為什麼不能愛父母？愛兄弟姐妹？愛你身邊的人，何時起愛竟是如此難說出口。當下我決定今天的故事時間要來上一堂『say, I love you』『Guess how much I love you』這本書是說有一隻兔寶寶問兔媽媽你有多愛我，兔媽媽開始用比較的方式讓兔寶寶了解雖然愛是看不到的但是它是可以感受的到的！

課後，『小朋友，愛不愛爸爸媽媽？』『愛』『那有沒有跟媽媽爸爸還是阿公阿嬤說過我愛你呀？『沒有』『有』(此起彼落的回答聲)，等一下爸媽還是阿公阿嬤來接你們回家的時候要記得跟他們說喔』

其實我不是很喜歡用英文教小朋友生活上的事，第一他們還不夠大到能了解英文跟中文的差別，再者西方國家和東方國家的思考邏輯不一定合的來，而這本童書反而讓我愛不釋手藉由『Guess how much I love you』讓孩子了解父母親的愛以及愛要說出來的重要性。

站在這本書前面有點久久到回想起以前帶孩子的日子想到孩子們的笑容，我要離開的那天小朋友說：老師要回來看我們唷。我說『好』，然而我知道當我回來的時候你們已經離開學校了，往小學邁進了。

希望你們長大後看到這本會想起曾經有人告訴過你『愛要說出口』

摘取部份原文：

Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening.

"Guess how much I love you," he said.

"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

"This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.

Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. "But I love YOU this much," he said.

Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach." said Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That is quite high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that.

Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet.

"I love you all the way up to my toes!" he said.

"And I love you all the way up to your toes," said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head.

"I love you as high as I can HOP!" laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.

"But I love you as high as I can hop," smiled Big Nutbrown Hare - and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above.

That's good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that.

"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river," cried Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you across the river and over the hills," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think any more. Then he looked beyond the thorn bushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be further than the sky.

"I love you right up to the MOON," he said, and closed his eyes.

"Oh, that's far," said Big Nutbrown Hare. "That is very, very far."

Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him good night.

Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, "I love you right up to the moon and back.