Why am I passionate about this?
I’m a little bit obsessed with children’s books. I have an extensive personal library of books from my own childhood as well as my kids'. I’m also a person who has become increasingly, shall we say, concerned about the deepening of the culture wars in our society and the ways in which children’s libraries end up being the battleground for those wars. Children’s books matter; if they didn’t, no one would be trying to censor them. And I’d argue that children’s books about ethics and morality might matter even more than most. The five books I’ve recommended here are, in my opinion, truly among the best.
Naomi's book list on raising kind kids
Why Naomi loves this book
One of the key elements of being kind, maybe the key element, is simply being present in hard moments.
That’s what this book is about. When the child in this book is going through something difficult, the other animals do their best to help him feel better, but only Rabbit gets it right—and all Rabbit does is listen. It’s a profound message, one that grownups need as much as kids.
9 authors picked The Rabbit Listened as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
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…
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