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Robert Munsch has delighted children around the world for decades with his books and storytelling — and he’s letting his fans know that dozens of new stories are in the works.
“There’s about 50 stories,” the cherished Canadian children’s author said. “When I’m dead, they’ll still be putting out Robert Munsch books.”
Munsch, 80, shared the news in a recent interview with CBC News chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault at his home in Guelph, Ont. — an interview he called his “last hurrah.”
His plan is for about one book a year to be edited and illustrated after he’s gone.
“Nobody lives forever,” he said. “But I will at least have a couple of years, as many years as I’ve already had [after I’m gone], and that will be nice.”
Munsch revealed in a recent interview with the New York Times, published in September, that he’s been approved for medical assistance in dying (MAID) when the time is right. He’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, which he said he’s managing, despite the toll they’ve taken.
“I tell people I’m fine. I’m not fine,” he said. “I fall down, I forget words…. I can’t walk more than two blocks.”
When asked in the CBC interview if there’s anything he wants to say to people who might be concerned about him, Munsch said, “I’ll be OK.”
‘It’s like Bob to face life head-on’
Munsch is comfortable with the decision he’s made to retain control and decide when he’s ready to go — and his wife of 53 years, Ann, said she wasn’t surprised by his choice.
“It’s like Bob to face life head-on,” Ann said. “And both of us feel that that’s a choice that is valid and legitimate, and he decided that’s what he wants to do when the time comes — and fortunately for both of us, maybe especially me, it’s a long way away.”
Still, while the physical effects of his condition are becoming harder to ignore, Munsch said he’s adamant that the stories he’s written and has loved performing for children are still intact in his mind.
“I feel that I’ve got a strong hold on them, and when I try to tell them, it’s like I’ve always told them,” he said. “And I will lose that eventually, but they’re OK now.”
The stories, close to 100 of them, written over decades have sold 90 million copies in North America alone and been translated into 50 languages worldwide. They have garnered Munsch many writing awards, an Order of Canada, a Juno and a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
But despite his celebrity status, he takes pleasure meeting his young readers out of the limelight.
“I like to give away the little books in stores,” he said. “And the mother will say, ‘Oh, that’s a Munsch book.’ It’s amazing how I’ve infected a whole generation of people with my books.”
Criss-crossed the country visiting schools
Munsch’s more popular titles include The Paper Bag Princess, Murmel, Murmel, Murmel and Mortimer.
The book he’s most known for, Love You Forever, tells the story of a mother cradling her son as a baby, only to be cradled by him in return at the end of her life. Published in 1986, the book has sold 38 million copies and rose to the top of the New York Times bestsellers list.
Munsch wrote it after he and Ann suffered the loss of two stillborn babies, before adopting their three children. He said he knew it was something special when he read it to groups of families.
“The kids would be laughing and the grown-ups would be crying, and that made it special,” he said.
In his prime, Munsch criss-crossed the country visiting hundreds of schools — often dropping in unannounced and surprising teachers and librarians who reached out to him.
He said it’s where he felt most alive and where he still finds comfort.
“I dream I’m on stage with a big audience,” he said. “When things are bad, that’s the place I retreat to.”
