A universal, deeply moving exploration of grief and empathy
With its spare, poignant text and irresistibly sweet illustrations, The Rabbit Listened is a tender meditation on loss.
When something terrible happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn't feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that's not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to process this loss, and one by one they fail. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen, which is just what Taylor needs.
Whether read in the wake of tragedy or as a primer for comforting others, this is a deeply moving and unforgettable story sure to soothe heartache of all sizes.
Lest we forget, the only reason that children’s books were invented in the first place was to teach small human lessons. That is, in fact, the very backbone of the book business for youth today. Instruction. Guidance. Morally uplifting texts that will mold the little readers into fine, upstanding citizens. And because books like Little Goody Two-Shoes lie at the root of everything published in our day and age, we aren’t surprised by picture books that seek to instruct. These days, it's funny to think that picture books do not solely instruct just the young anymore. I doubt very much that old Benjamin Harris could have foreseen the rise of the graduation gift picture book or the books kept in a psychiatrist’s office for the aid of his or her adult patients. As it turns out, children are not the only ones in need of instruction these days. I call these kinds of books “Message Books” and each year I collect the names of the ones that do their jobs well. Anyone can write a book that crams its morals down the throats of its young readers. It is far more interesting to look at books that integrate their message seamlessly within their stories. The best make it look effortless and easy. My latest favorite? The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld. A book that makes me grateful to think that adults reading this book to small children will pick up on some of what it’s laying down.
For a second there, it was a most magnificent thing. Taylor had worked very hard, building the blocks into just the right configuration. Who wouldn’t have been proud? And who could have predicted the flock of blackbirds that swooped out of the sky, knocking it all down? Suddenly left with nothing, Taylor is devastated. One by one, animals notice the child’s misery and try to help. A chicken recommends talking about it. A bear says to scream out anger. A hyena says to laugh about it. Yet as Taylor rejects their advice they leave, and the kid is alone again. Only the rabbit, quiet and close, stays with Taylor and listens. And when, after Taylor has talked, and screamed, and laughed, and gone through every step of the process, only then does Taylor think about rebuilding once again.
One of the big trends of this and last year are picture books that tackle bad things happening in the wider world. Come With Me by Holly McGhee, Breaking News by Sarah Lynne Reul, and Something Happened In Our Town by Marianne Celano all seek to comfort and guide in hard times. What sets The Rabbit Listened apart is its universality. The event that leads to Taylor’s misery is an out-of-the-blue disaster that strikes without warning or reason. And just like that, you have a book that can be applied to broad disasters like hurricanes, school shootings, or terrorist attacks or personal ones like the death of a loved one. Even the name “Taylor” could be applied to either a boy or a girl, and Doerrfeld is in no hurry to clear up precisely on which side of the line the child lies.
I don’t actually recommend children’s books to adults unless that person has given me some serious prompting. But when I encountered a friend’s grief not too long ago, I recommended this one. My friend had been talking about the different ways in which people respond when someone they care about has experienced a deep loss. Doerrfeld herself has said in interviews that she wrote this book when two friends of hers lost a child. As a rule, humans don’t like to feel helpless in the face of impossible emotions. In our nervousness to just do SOMETHING we do everything the animals in this book do. We encourage the grieving person to scream, cry, talk it out, etc. and when they don’t we leave in exasperation (and possibly relief). For many of us, the idea of just being there when needed and not interjecting with our own “helpful” advice is actually very difficult. There are a few times in your life when the advice to shut up and listen bears careful consideration. This is one of those times.
Digital art is just too much for me these days. We crossed the uncanny valley and have ended up on the other side, where digitization is no longer immediately recognizable. With a gun placed to my head I would have told you with confidence that the art in this book was graphite and watercolors. Not so. Putting aside the hows then, let’s look at the ways in which Doerrfeld approaches this material. Generally speaking, everything is placed against a pure white background. The danger of this is that it could feel like an Apple commercial, so scenes are broken up beautifully. In three sequences the background is lavender. One of those scenes is tragic, two are inspiring. At first, following the moment of the disaster, Taylor is sequestered to the left-hand page. Characters enter from the right, which is fascinating since I’d always heard that picture book editors hate it when characters walk into a scene in a way that’s the opposite of the page turns. Then again, it’s possible this is done on purpose because it gives the reader an unconscious feeling that something isn’t quite right with the scene. But through it all, the white background has been a wonderful way of showing how alone Taylor feels through all of this. Just a small child in a big empty space where once there was something wonderful.
Listening is very in these days. I guess we haven’t been doing much of it for a while. We might hear a lot of things, but we don’t always listen. Some people are very good listeners. So good, in fact, that we forget to ask them about their own lives as well. In a way, The Rabbit Listened is a celebration of these people. The folks that selflessly put away their own egos and opinions and advice to help other people. In the end I don’t know if I’d rather give this book to the people who do listen, in thanks for all they do, or to the people that never listen, in the hopes that they will. Maybe both. Or maybe I should just give the book to its chosen audience. Because the more children that understand the value of listening when tragedy has occurred, the more they’ll hear, and learn, and comprehend, and empathize. And isn’t that, in the end, what the best picture books do?
ریویوی احیاشده زندگی من پر از جک و جونور هست. تقریبا از هر حیوونی میتونی توش پیدا کنی. ولی همیشه جای یکیشون خالی بود؛ یه موجود گرم و لطیف با گوشهایی که ناجور بوسیدنیان. همیشه انتظار داشتنش رو میکشیدم. گاهی فکر میکردم اصلا تو این عمر ناچیزی که دارم، میتونم پیداش کنم و بهش بگم که تو با تموم موجودات اون طویلهای که ازش بیرون اومدم فرق داری... تیلور پیداش کرد. همون خرگوش بیهمتایی که جدای از بقیه بود و من، حسرتش رو میخوردم. چون کدوم آدمی نیاز به درک و پذیرش نداره؟ خرگوشی که اون پیداش کرد همیشه این ترس رو تو دلم مینداخت، که زندگیم تموم شه و هیچکسی خرگوش من نشه. من از تمومی حیوونها قطع امید کرده بودم و عادت داشتم که اون نقشی رو که میخواستم، خودم در حقم ایفا کنم. اما به تدریج صدای قدمهاش رو شنیدم. آروم و بیسروصدا نشسته بود. هیچی نمیگفت و فقط میشنید. خواستم بترسونمش. لالمونی بگیرم تا بذاره بره به همون جایی که ازش اومده بود، ولی نرفت چون حسابی جا خوش کرده بود. من به نشانهها اعتقادی ندارم ولی سالی که چیزی به اتمامش هم نمونده، بیشک برای من برازندهی سال خرگوش بود. امیدوارم تو زندگی همهتون، چنین موجود بیبدیلی پا بذاره. چون این قشنگترین اتفاقی هست که میتونم قبل تحویل سال برای تکتکتون خواهانش باشم ♡ ریویوی منقضیشده عجب! نمیدونستم انقدر کتابهای خوبی تو این ردهی سنی وجود داره. واقعا حسودیم شد :) وقتی کوچیک بودم، تنها چیزی که تو دست بقیه نمیدیدم ، همین کتاب بود. اینطور شد که کلی کتاب رو تو زمان خودش نخوندم و هیچ ایدهای نداشتم چه چیزی به دردم میخوره. تو دوران نوجوانی هم گیر سایت سمی 98ia افتادم و ذهنم با خزعبلات پر شد. نه خبری از کلاسیکهای عاشقانه انگلستان بود نه مجموعههای چند جلدی مثل هری پاتر. سنم که بالا رفت، گفتم " شقایق، تو دیگه برای این کتابا زیادی پیری." اما به لطف گودریدز پی بردم، اینجوریا هم نیست. دوستایی که با بچههای فامیل، کتابهای کودک و نوجوان میخوندن یا بعضی کتابها رو دوبارهخوانی میکردن، بهم تلنگر زدن هنوز دیر نشده. برای همین چند وقتی هست که دل رو به دریا زدم و میون کتاب های جدیترم، این دسته از کتابا رو میخونم. فکرش هم نمیکردم انقدر ساده از موضوعاتی بگن که خودمون هنوز هم که هنوزه، درشون لنگ میزنیم. اینکه زیپ دهن مبارکمون رو ببندیم و گوش بدیم. آدمها رو با نسخههایی که میپیچیم غمگینتر نکنیم . بالای منبر نشینیم و سخنرانی حوصلهسربر نکنیم. گذشتهشون رو شخم نزنیم. نگیم دیدی بهت گفته بودم! دیدی همینجوری شد. زبون لعنتیمون رو خاموش کنیم و بذاریم یکم گوشمون روشن شه. تضمین میکنم کلی از مشکلاتمون حل میشه؛ چون به طرف مقابلمون این فرصت رو دادیم که خودش سفرهی دلش رو پیشمون باز کنه. و این یعنی احترام گذاشتن به احساسات آدمها. چیزی که متأسفانه به ندرت میبینم. ای کاش تو مهدکودک، مدرسه و حتی دانشگاه این چیزهای اساسی رو بهمون یاد میدادن. شک نداشتم اینجوری با عشق درس میخوندیم. اما زهی خیال باطل. این انتظارات به درد یه دنیای خیالی میخوره. دنیایی که هیچ شباهتی به این جهنم دره نداره :))) در نهایت یادی کنم از این دیالوگ انیمیشن Inside out شادی: چطوری این کارو کردی؟ (خوشحالش کردی؟) غم: اون غمگین بود، پس من به حرفاش گوش دادم.
What happens when we build something and someone knocks it down? What happens when we build something and someone knocks it down and everyone else has an opinion about it that we don’t want to hear?
What happens when we build something and someone knocks it down and we are left alone and feel all sorts of emotions about it and someone comes along and just listens to everything that we feel about it?
Can we feel listened too, finally?
Well, maybe this is that story.
And, this is what makes this the perfect story for parents and/or teachers to talk with kids about.
A beautifully illustrated book that has been donated by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for kids everywhere.
Each year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books, and we have been doing this for years. Everyone rates each book and adds a comment and it may (or may not) affect my overall rating. This is book #6 of 2018. This is rare this year in that we all agree on the rating! Whoa!
Lyra (11): 4 stars. You don't have to say anything to mean a lot. Just listen.
Hank (12): 4 stars! . . . [Hank here is not saying anything and just listening to the book.]
Harry (13): 4 stars. It shows that sometimes what a person needs most is for someone just to listen.
Penn (family friend): 4.5 stars. I love the concept: There are many options available to you when things fall apart in our lives and we get to choose what is best and most authentic for us even though others may offer solutions/responses that are useful for them. Listening in this book seems actually like a secondary idea.
Tara: 4 stars. Don't push kids to feel a certain way, or to "just get over it," but let them work it out on their own. A good message.
Dave: 4 stars. Asserts the importance of listening to kids (which reminds me of a seventies book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, which gives the same advice to a man to try not solve a problem that a woman shares with him. Shut up and just listen sometimes, man! {i'm trying to learn this. . .]
"Sometimes hugs say more than words" adorn the back cover of the book. This book is about grief. Several animals tried to help the child and the child didn't need that at the time. As the title says, the rabbit listened, which is what the child needed most. The rabbit was willing to stay in that place of grief with the child.
I loved this book and it is powerful with a great message. It really is. It is talking about how to deal with emotions that are painful.
The nephew liked all the animals that showed up, especially the snake.
This was so darn cute! The illustrations are wonderful and there is just enough text on each page to explain (without over explaining) the story. There are lots of adorable animals making funny little faces and I was all smiles and giggles. Exactly the perfect length for most tiny human's bedtime story. Not as dark or heavy as I expected and a wonderful way to help explain how all feelings are valid.
داستان کوتاهه ولی خیلی حرف داره. منو یاد وقتهایی میندازه که کار اشتباهی کردیم اما حتی قبل از اینکه فرصت دفاع از خودمون رو پیدا کنیم، بقیه شروع میکنن به حرف زدن و توبیخ کردن و ما دیگه فقط باید یا گوش بدیم یا توجیه کنیم نه اینکه واقعیت رو بگیم، چون دیگه میدونیم اگر واقعیت رو به زبون بیاریم قراره سرزنش بشیم. همینطور یاد وقتهایی میفتم که دوست داریم از غممون برای یکی بگیم اما میدونیم بعدش اون میخواد بگه "تازه تو که خوبی، من اینجوری بودم، من اونجوری بودم". قاعدتا ما وقتی حالمون بده گنجایش شنیدن مصیبتهای زندگی یه نفر دیگه نداریم. یا میدونیم اگر بگیم قراره بعدا مثل یه آتو ازش استفاده بشه یا حتی نه، فقط طرف به یادمون بیاره که "آره، یادته برام فلان چیزو تعریف کردی؟ خیلی اوضاعت خرابه، فکر کردی میتونی از پس مشکلاتت بربیای؟ این کار تو نیست. اون بدرد تو نمیخوره."
ای کاش فقط گوش بدیم. نه لازمه کاری بکنیم، نه لازمه حرفی بزنیم. وقتی یکی حرف میزنه دوست داره خودش بگه نه بقیه. اگر لازم به انجام چیزی باشه میگه بیا اینکارو بکنیم. اگر بخواد چیزی بگیم میگه نظرت چیه؟ تو میگی چیکار کنم؟ از شنیده هامون برای کمک به هم استفاده کنیم نه زخم زبون زدن. دوست دارم برای بقیه همچین آدمی باشم. ای کاش بتونم و باشم.
یاد این قسمت از کارتون Inside Out افتادم: خوشحالی: "هی، چطور این کارو کردی؟" غم: "نمیدونم...فقط بهش گوش دادم..″ ___________________________________________ چقدر خوب میشد اگه وقتی ناراحت بودیم یکی بود که بدون قضاوت، عصبانیت و نصیحت فقط بهون گوش میداد تا یه دل سیر حرف برنیم و بعد بغلمون میکرد... آدم اینجور موقعها نیاز داره یکی پیشش باشه فقط... یکی مثل خرگوش..
و چقدر بهتر میشد اگه ما هم به وقت نیاز بقیه برای اونا خرگوش میشدیم و حرفاشون رو بدون قضاوت گوش بدیم..
اینطوری، کنار هم، دنیا قشنگتر و قابل تحملتر میشد...
همه گاهی اینجوری میشیم. نمیخوایم توضیح بدیم نمیخوایم بهمون بگن چکار کنیم یا بگن چه احساسی باید داشته باشیم نمیخوایم بگن خودشون با همچین تجربه ای چجوری کنار اومدن فقط میخوایم تعریف کنیم چی شده.
به آدم ها وقتی دلگیرند و اتفاقی براشون افتاده گیر ندیم که حرف بزنند، گریه کنند، خودشون رو خالی کنند، هی راهکار براشون نیاریم،[نگیم از تو بدبخت تر هم هست ببین داره خوش خوش زندگی میکنه پاشو جمع کن خودتو]، اگه قراره باشیم براشون، فقط باشیم؛ بذاریم خودشون آروم اروم وقتی تونستند پاشند تصمیم خودشون رو بگن، اون وقت کاری متناسب با اون کنیم.
A review from my 6-year-old daughter: “I liked it! No one tells you how to feel. They don’t know how you feel inside unless you listen to them. My favorite character was the rabbit and Taylor because the rabbit listened to Taylor so much! I love Taylor because Taylor made such cool castles!”
خیلی از ما به اصطلاح آدم بزرگها نمیدونیم چطور باید با یک انسانِ اندوهگین رفتار کنیم، شرمگینش میکنیم و بهش حس گناه میدیم، بهش دستور میدیم مثبتتر به زندگی نگاه کنه، ازش میخوایم خداروشکر کنه که اوضاع بدتر از این نیست و حتی گاهی با عصبانیت ازش میخوایم دست از جلب توجه برداره! گاهی یک انسان غمگین، افسرده، بی حوصله و ... تنها چیزی که نیاز داره کمی حضور و سکوت همزمان ماست. کاش این کتاب رو همه بخونیم و کاش برای بچه هامون بخونیم.
گفتار اندر معرفی کتاب خرگوش گوش داد، عنوانِ فارسیِ کتابِ «دِ رَبیت لیسِند» به قلم و تصویرگریِ خانمِ «کوری دورفلد» نویسنده و طراحِ خلاقِ امریکاییست که کتابهای زیادی برای کودکان خلق کرده و در ایران متاسفانه بدونِ در نظر گرفتنِ حقوقِ نویسنده و با لگدمال کردنِ کلیهی حقوقِ صاحبِ اثر توسطِ آقای «رضی هیرمندی» ترجمه و نهایتا توسطِ «انتشارات پرتقال» چاپ و منتشر گردیده است.
گفتار اندر محتوای کتاب داستان در موردِ کودکی به نامِ «تیلور» است که دلش میخواست با نوآوری یک چیزِ خاص و معرکه بسازد و انجامش داد اما طی اتفاقی اختراعش خراب شد و او طبیعتا از این ماجرا ناراحت و غمگین میشود. اطرافیان او به او پیشنهادهای مختلفی میکنند اما هیچکس او را درک نمیکند تا اینکه روزی خرگوشی به سراغِ او میآید و ... .
کارنامه تصویرگری و متنِ بسیار جذاب و آموزندهی کتاب را بینهایت دوست داشتم و نمرهی کاملی برای این کتابِ دوستداشتنی منظور میکنم. این کتاب از آن دسته از کتابهایی بود که کیفِ کودک درونم را برای چند روز کوک کرد و برای کودکان نیز کتابی بسیار آموزنده و دوست داشتنیست و به دوستانم پیشنهاد میکنم هم خودتان کتاب را بخوانید و هم به کودکانِ اطرافتان هدیه دهید.
دانلود نامه فایلِ پیدیاف کتاب را ساخته و آپلود خواهم کرد، در صورت نیاز میتوانید آنرا از لینکِ زیر دانلود نمایید: https://t.me/reviewsbysoheil/272
نکتهی مهم زین پس کتابهایی که حقوق نویسنده توسط ناشر رعایت و با اجازهی صاحب اثر ترجمه و چاپ گردیده باشد را بصورت پیدیاف ��نتشر نخواهم کرد اما در صورتیکه مترجم و ناشری با لگدمال کردن حقوق نویسنده در جهت کسب ثروت و مالاندوزی اقدام به چاپ ترجمهای از کتاب نمایند، من نیز حقی برای مترجم و ناشر قائل نخواهم بود. اینکه مترجم و ناشری هیچ توجهی به حقوقِ صاحبانِ اصلی اثر نکنند اما از مردمِ ایران انتظار داشته باشند بجای دانلود کتاب، آن را خریداری کنند تا حقوق آنها ضایع نگردد استانداری دوگانه است و پذیرفتنی نیست.
کتاب خیلی خوبی بود برای این گروه سنی تا از همون بچگی یاد بگیرن که لازم نیست برای خوب کردن حال یه نفر که تو خودشه و ناراحته حتما کار عجیب و غریبی کرد. گوش دادن هنر بزرگیه و اغلب بچه ها این هنر رو دارن. من که یه دوست 7 ساله دارم و در گوش دادن واقعا بی نظیره. شاید یه وقتایی هم خیلی نفهمه ک�� چی میگم ولی بازم خوب گوش میکنه. خیلی بهتر از من آدم گنده. وقتی این کتاب رو میخوندم فکر کردم که این کتاب رو بهش معرفی کنم تا حالا که کلاس اولش رو تموم کرده و با سواد شده، این کتاب رو که متن زیادی هم نداره و ساده است، خودش بخونه.
فوقالعاده بود. بهنظرم خیلی مهمه که غیرمستقیم به بچههای اطرافمون بگیم که هروقت خواستن حرف بزنن، هستی��. مهمتر از اون، مهارت گوش دادنه. مطمئنم خیلیامون هنوزه که هنوزه یاد نگرفتیمش. پس خوندنش به خودمون هم کمک میکنه. (جدی.)
A simply perfect story of loss, grief, and empathy. Children can understand the falling of a block castle as a literal event, or a metaphorical one. The reactions of the various animals are a perfect jumping-off point for discussing how to react (or not react!) to those going through a loss. Have tissues handy. Bonus: main character Taylor's gender is not specified, either with pronouns in the text or coding in the illustrations. This adds to the book's universality.
I found this book profoundly moving. The action of coming alongside and being still and quiet, offering reassurance by being present is beautifully illustrated.
A child builds an amazing structure out of blocks only to have it destroyed by a group of birds. Many different animals come to offer comfort and they all give suggestions as to how to fix things. But it is only the rabbit who provides true comfort by listening to the child’s story and sitting quietly with the child as the child comes up with a solution.
An ideal story for counselors or teachers to share with students or for parents to read with their children at home.
This is a deceptively simple book about allowing people to deal with loss in their own way. As the story shows, it's not up to the other animals to try to fix Taylor's problem. All the kid really needs is someone to listen to them, and they eventually deal with the loss on their own terms.
The "terrible" thing might not seem so terrible to adult readers, but it could be devastating for a child. As each of the animals tries to help Taylor, they're turned away. Taylor doesn't want to talk or get angry or immediately fix the problem. They need time to feel their feelings, and that's exactly what the rabbit eventually gives them. The illustrations are so cute at that point, with the rabbit snuggling up to the kid, letting them know that they're not alone. And then, the rabbit listens, because Taylor is finally ready to express themselves. (You'll notice that I'm not using gendered pronouns. Taylor's gender isn't specified, and the way they're drawn, it could be either way, making the book relatable for boys and girls--or even non-binary kids.)
This book is simple yet deep, with adorable illustrations and a great message about just being there for someone... even if all you're doing is sitting beside them and listening quietly. It far surpasses some of the more overt "issues" picture books I've read for kids, and I'd definitely recommend it for children, as well as for anyone who'd like to know how to help a friend who's suffered a loss.
Oh, the illustrations on each page just melt your heart. Never have I ever finished reading a book in under two minutes and it stayed with me for so long. I just wish more people did what the rabbit did- and just listened. The world would become a lot more bearable.
I'm so glad to have a copy of this book. I also wish for a day when I can personally introduce a lot of people to this book. So that they realise that it is okay to not want someone to "fix" their problem or be forced to react to a situation in a particular manner. They are entitled to be heard and seen for what they feel, that too at their own pace.
Although this book is created for children, I know a lot of adults who could benefit from it too. For people to understand that sometimes the biggest way you could help is just by listening. Listen, but not to react or respond, but just because the other person wants to speak.