The Rabbit Listened - Cori Doerrfeld - ★★★★★

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Cori Doerrfeld

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: February 20, 2018

RATING: 5 stars!

In a Nutshell: A lovely picture book about the power of listening and being there. Great concept and outstanding execution. Many wonderful animals. Practical. Much recommended.

Plot Preview:

Little Taylor had built a wonderful structure using his toy bricks when something terrible makes the entire thing collapse. As expected, Taylor is upset about his efforts going to waste. Many animals come to him one by one offering him advice on what he should do next. But Taylor’s lack of response drives them all away. And then, the rabbit arrives. And sits next to Taylor. And listens. Which works perfectly for Taylor.

Often, we find that in times of trouble, there is a lot of unwarranted advice. We are either at the receiving end of endless instructions on what we ought to do, or we ourselves make the mistake of instructing others on their response. But we forget that often, a person who is upset at something doesn’t need practical solutions, but just a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, a hand to hold. This picture book demonstrates this concept beautifully.

As there are multiple animals who come to offer advice to Taylor, the book contains a lovely eclectic array of creatures, which children are bound to love. I love how each animal’s advice is in sync with their supposed personality (as assumed by humans), like an elephant who wants Taylor to remember or an ostrich who wants the boy to hide.

The text is quite sparing, with simple lines communicating volumes. Each page gives proper space to Taylor, his collapsed bricks, and the animal active on the page. With only 1-2 lines per page, the focus stays on the expressions and feelings of the characters. Given the number of spoken dialogues and emotions involved, this would be a fabulous book to read aloud.

The illustrations are the perfect addition to the story. Drawn in crayon style, the graphics are in somewhat muted pastels, which matches the tone of the book perfectly.

Basically, I loved almost everything about this wildly creative and yet utterly practical book. It offers a valuable life lesson for everyone (adults included) that sometimes, being there is what’s most important. Perhaps I might have like a different title. Because of the mention of the rabbit, we know beforehand that a rabbit will pop up in Taylor’s life and listen to him. It’s not like this is a suspense thriller anyway 🤭 but perhaps an element of surprise would have helped. Then again, this is a minuscule complaint to make in an otherwise excellent work.

Definitely recommended. This is an example of a great concept made better by its execution. It ought to work well in homes as well as classroom sessions on communication techniques. I think it might also be a good addition to any place where help is available for children (the office of a therapist or a counsellor or a social worker) as it would allow the affected child to choose their mode of expressing their feelings. The book ought to suit children aged 4+. It might help parents and teachers as well.

If you want a fabulous video version of this book, check out the one on YouTube by the channel ‘Buddy Son Storytime.’