The Rabbit Listened

"Together they sat in silence until Taylor said, 'Please stay with me.' The rabbit listened." 

No matter how hard we try, we are not always able to protect our children from disappointment, hurt, and loss.  The world is filled with stumbling blocks and obstacles, and it is important for adults to model empathy, compassion, and coping strategies for the children we care for.  That's a daunting job, for any parent, teacher, or caregiver but luckily The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld made that job slightly less intimidating. 

In the text, The Rabbit Listened, Taylor, the gender-neutral protagonist, felt very proud of their accomplishment - right before a tragedy strikes and Taylor is left feeling heartbroken.  One by one well-meaning friends come to visit Taylor after things fell apart and one by one the friends told Taylor how to cope with loss.  They offered to talk it out, scream about it, cry, laugh, or hurt others - yet when Taylor didn't want to do those things these friends left.  Until the rabbit arrived.  The rabbit did nothing but sit with Taylor, allowing them to take the lead.  In the end, the rabbit gave Taylor exactly what they needed and by listening, they helped Taylor heal.  

The beauty of this text is not only in the sweet illustrations and a heart-warming message about love and empathy but beyond the text - in the conversations it prompts and in the lessons it holds.  Through this text, we can model think-alouds and ask questions about each of the strategies posed by Taylor's friends. 

•  "Sometimes when we're hurting or disappointed, we want to take it out on others - like the snake suggested.  Is that the best way to handle hurt feelings? 
• "Who do you think was the best friend to Taylor?  How do you know?  Were they other characters bad friends?"  
• "How might you help a friend who is hurting?" 
• "What do you need when you're in pain?"  

These allow parent and child, or teacher and class, to talk about all the different ways we might help our friends when they are in pain - but even more powerfully, it will help send the message to our kids that we are there to listen, whenever they are ready to talk.