Listen

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.

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 the University of Washington and creative writing at The University of Texas and is a member of SCBWI. When she’s not writing, she loves taking nature walks, visiting Little Free Libraries, and baking sweet treats. She lives in Oregon with her family

Stephanie Graegin is the illustrator of numerous books for children, including Super Manny Stands Up! by Kelly DiPucchio; Water in the Park by Emily Jenkins; Happy Birthday, Bunny! by Liz Garton Scanlon; Peace Is an Offering by Annette LeBox; and Listen by Gabi Snyder. She earned her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA in printmaking from Pratt Institute, and she currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. 

Readers are encouraged to take a moment to listen to every sound around them. . . . Through sensory engagement, the narrative offers a fresh way to engage with the world, showing that even when the surroundings seem overwhelming, one has the power of attention—useful for learning, calm, empathy, and more. . . . Endmatter defines different modes of hearing and responding to sounds. . . .This book makes a memorable experience.

– Kirkus Reviews, *STARRED REVIEW*, May 1, 2021

A girl walks to school with her father one day, noticing the noise of the city and listening to individual sounds. . . . Digitally rendered with pencil and watercolor elements, the attractive artwork uses cool blues, greens, and grays with touches of orange as accents. The story line emerges mainly in the illustrations, while the precisely worded text focuses on sounds and, in closing, suggests dealing with the world's noise by listening "to everything waiting to be heard." An evocative read-aloud choice for classroom units on the senses.--Booklist "May 1, 2021"