The lyrics to "Jesus Loves Me" first appeared in 1860 as a poem in the book Say and Seal. The book was written by Susan Warner, the poem by her younger sister, Anna B. Warner. The original poem (in the novel spoken to a dying child) included just the verses, not the chorus, and the last verse ended with
Then His little child will take
Up to heaven for His dear sake.
rather than the words of the hymn as sung today:
If I love Him when I die
He will take me home on high.
William B. Bradbury put the poem to music and added the chorus in 1862. It was also put to other tunes by other composers, but Bradbury's is the one that has endured.