Listen by Gabi Snyder — PPBF Review

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.

 

King Calm: Mindful Gorilla in the City

King Calm: Mindful Gorilla in the City

By Susan D. Sweet and Brenda S. Miles, Authors

Bryan Langdo, Illustrator

Magination Press, Fiction, Oct. 17, 2016

Suitable for Ages: 4-8

Themes: Distractions, Slowing down, Paying attention to the present moment,  Mindfulness

Opening: In a Great Big City, there lived a gorilla named Marvin. Marvin wasn’t like other gorillas. He didn’t stomp his feet, he never wanted to fight, and he never pounded his chest with a thump thump roar! 

Book Synopsis: Meet Marvin. He’s a gorilla living in a Great Big City. He is peaceful and composed and enjoys every minute of his day. He doesn’t approach life with a thump thump roar. Instead Marvin experiences the world mindfully through his senses. He’s the King of Calm.

Why I like this book:

The authors have written an engaging and entertaining book about Marvin, who is a calm and gentle character who notices things other people miss because they are distracted or too busy to care. When Marvin slowly eats his banana he notices the bright yellow outside and the sweet ripe inside. His grandfather doesn’t understand Marvin because he’s impatient with life, gobbles his food and is ready to move on to their next activity. While Marvin  is very observant, Grandpa never really takes a moment to stop to enjoy his surroundings until…

I am pleased to see the growing number of books that encourage kids to slow down, pay attention to whatever they are doing in the moment, and notice the beautiful world around them. It is good to introduce mindfulness practice to children. Start at a young age, when they are open and eager to explore everything they see, smell, taste, touch, and hear.

Bryan Langdo’s illustrations are colorful, lively, diverse and expressive. Children will enjoy studying the detail on each page. As parents and teachers read this book to children, the illustrations are a great place to ask questions. What are the people at the fountain doing and does anyone notice its beauty except Marvin? What happens to the other people in the illustrations when they are distracted in the city scene? How do they react? Are they calm or reactive?

Resources: The book includes a Reader’s Note filled with information about learning to pay attention to your life through your senses by living mindfully.  Start by paying attention to what you are eating rather than gobbling it down. Be more observant when you take a walk and notice the smells in the air, the cloud formations, or look into a stream. Is it a cool or sticky day? Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you.  What do you hear? Sit on a bench and observe. How do you feel?

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 Perfect Picture Books.