The rabbit listened (vuoden 2018 painos)

Not gonna lie, I teared up when I read this one. It’s clear why this was the 2019 Michigan Library Association Mitten Award Winner. It is such a profound, yet simple book. It verbalizes what some kids need, but don’t know how to say. It’s not just for kids, but a great reminder to adults that sometimes, we just need someone to sit quietly with us for a while, ready to listen when/if need it. ( )

Lovely picture book about a boy whose building blocks project gets knocked over and all the animals who suggest how he ought to deal with that. And... the rabbit listened. Excellent, I would think, for talking to kiddos about having big feelings yourself, how you'd like others to help with that, and what you might do if you see someone else struggling with feelings. ( )

Top 100 pick because:

Sweet, elegant example of active listening, what to do when someone is upset, and how to go about recognizing and coping with emotions. The illustrations are soft and I just get the warm fuzzies from this book, after my heart aches first of course. ( )

This emotional, yet simple story has you reflecting on every little bump in the road. When a young boy’s block tower falls he is visited by many animals who try to advise him on how to react. He chooses none of them. Finally, a rabbit cuddles up to him and the boy is able to cope in many different ways. The story ends with a powerfully positive message. I ugly cried because something about this 32-page picture book touches the soul, and had me reflecting on many of the hurdles I’ve faced, or many I’m currently facing today. A perfect book for social emotional learning, restorative practices, and class circle meetings for ALL ages. ( )

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cori-doerrfeld/the-rabbit-listened/

Curly-haired Taylor has built something "amazing" and is so proud. "But then, out of nowhere...things came crashing down." Taylor huddles next to the scattered blocks, and won't be drawn out by any of the animals who come by: the chicken wants to talk about it, the bear wants to get angry, the elephant remembers exactly how things were, the snake encourages Taylor to "go knock down someone else'ssss," etc. It's the titular rabbit who allows Taylor to express the full range of emotions, and at last, plan to build again.

Illustrations in digital ink. White background. ( )