Picture books: they’re great introductions to reading, with fanciful illustrations and good morals to teach. But at the end of the day, they’re for kids, aren’t they? 

It’s true that the majority of them are marketed toward children, and that the small percentage that don’t tend to be satirical, with inappropriate double meanings. However, books such as Cori Doerrfeld’s The Rabbit Listened, give the same benefits younger children can receive. Creativity, stress reduction, and the stories’ morals can be applied to anyone at any age. 

When Taylor, the young boy in the story, is sparked by creativity and creates his own masterpiece, it seems like nothing can go wrong. But bad things will come even for Taylor, and when disaster strikes and the happiness he built up (symbolically shown by his toy creation) comes crashing down. In his grief, readers are introduced to some animal friends who all try to help Taylor in their own way. It’s similar to the way people in real life may attempt to comfort others. 

The illustrations and characters both are charming and in the end, readers can be reminded that sometimes in grief, the most comforting thing may not be encouraging action, distractions, or spite. Instead, just as the title suggests, the most comforting thing in some cases may be companionship, one that allows for those needing comfort to act, to distract, and even to spite on their own time. 

The Rabbit Listened may be extremely short, but it’s a wonderful quick reminder to show compassion, teaching the ways one can comfort others and the courage the comfort can inspire. The length may be a benefit as well. With a sort of beauty in the simplicity, a kind of beauty to speak to children and adults alike, it serves as a breath of fresh air that allows readers to step back—even for just a moment—from the bustle of daily life. The message is summed up perfectly in the words that Doerrfeld closes off the book with: “Sometimes hugs say more than words.”