Listen
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
“A memorable experience.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
In the tradition of Tomie dePaola’s Quiet and Scott Magoon’s Breathe comes this lyrical, meditative picture book about listening and mindfulness.
BEEP!
WOOF!
VROOM!
Isn’t the world a noisy place?
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?
Beautifully illustrated and poignant, this lovely picture book follows a girl through her school day as she listens to sounds across the city: caws of crows, shouts across the playground, and finally, the quiet beating of her heart and whispered goodnights.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this book about auditory stimulus, Snyder (Two Dogs on a Trike) shows the steps behind taking cacophony apart, noise by noise. When a child with brown skin, dot eyes, and pigtail puffs steps out of a doorway and onto a city street, they're assailed by a wall of sound: a car says "BEEP!" while motor-scooters "VROOM!" and a moving van booms. "Listen," says the narrator. "Can you hear each sound?" The child pauses and closes their eyes, picturing the car, the scooter, and the other noise sources in vignettes, each one now distinct. At school, listening continues: playground sounds, storytime sounds, "words of joy... and words that can sting." A classmate's feelings are hurt: "Can you hear what she's feeling, too? A sob, a sigh, or even silence." Dusk falls, and Graegin (Fern and Otto) portrays city streets in a blue twilight that's studded with glowing lamps: "Listen... to nighttime hush and whispers." Back matter contains more about the sense of hearing ("The key difference between hearing and listening is attention"), including bottom-up, top-down, and startle responses. Snyder offers an introduction to mental focus, a skill whose enhancement may serve readers struggling to filter through a din. Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.
