The Rabbit Listened

Taylor is so proud. He has built a wonderful construction out of his bricks. Then disaster – it collapses. Well meaning animals rush around offering solutions but Taylor does not want advice. He wants to make up his own mind; he just wants someone to listen while he works through his angry, unhappy, disappointed feelings for himself. Then he can start again.

Soft colour wash combines with a soft textured wax crayon effect created by digital ink effectively emphasising the emotional content of the minimal text. Indeed the illustrations are also minimalist – we see Taylor himself set against a white ground; our attention is focussed on him, the other characters are all intruders. It is only the rabbit, who unlike them, does not remain separate but cuddles up close, contact bringing wordless comfort. This careful design allows the drama of the double page spread across which black birds swirl against a purple background to have its full impact. There are only five words in the text “But then, out of nowhere…”. The image says it all. This is a picture book that without moralising or underlining its message with words, allows a young reader not only to enjoy a familiar situation but to both empathise and, as important, to sympathise with Taylor. And at the end, a disaster is not the end. It is time to move on to create something “amazing”. To be recommended for classrooms and libraries