Listen
Gabi Snyder, Author
Stephanie Graegin, Illustrator
A Paula Wiseman Book, Fiction, 2021
Suitable for ages: 4-8
Themes: Listening, Paying attention, City, Sounds, Noise
Opening: When you step out into the big, wild world, sometimes all you hear is… NOISE!
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Isn’t the world a noisy place?
BEEP! WOOF! VROOM!
But what if you stop, close your eyes and Listen?
Can you hear each sound?
Can you listen past the noise and hear the quiet, too?
Why I like Listen:
A girl walks to school with her father and is bombarded with the noises of her busy city — dogs barking, cars beeping, motorcycles vrooming, and crows cawing. Readers will join the girl as she stops and attentively listens to each sound and lets go of the noise around it. She begins to learn what’s beyond the sounds — joy, hurtful feelings, the sounds of nature, and silence. She discovers that there is so much more “waiting to be heard” if she quiets herself and just listens.
The text is noisy with fun sounds that readers will enjoy repeating. Stephanie Graegin’s illustrations are beautiful and guide you on the girl’s journey. It is a beautiful story about mindfulness and learning to live in the present moment.
Resources: There is more information about LISTENING at the end of the book, which will encourage many interesting discussions. Listening is more than just hearing. It is a skill that will help readers learn to focus and tune out the noise. It is also a good book for parents. Teachers, check out the curriculum guide from Simon and Schuster.
Gabi Snyder’s debut picture book, Two Dogs on a Trike, received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, who said it “perfectly captures the rollicking, manic joy of dogs off the leash.” She studied psychology at University of Washington and creative writing at University of Texas at Austin and is a member of SCBWI. When she’s not writing, she love taking nature walks, visiting Free Libraries, and baking sweet treats. She lives in Oregon with her family. Learn more at her website.
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
*Reviewed from a library copy.
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