Listen by Gabi Snyder, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin

Listen by Gabi Snyder illustrated by Stephanie Graegin Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Listen is one of those magical picture books that, on the surface, seems like an effortless story about the sounds all around us. It's the kind of book that makes some (overly self-confident) types say, "I could have written that . . . " Having worked as a librarian, bookseller, and assistant to a literary agent who represents some very talented people from the world of children's books, I have read thousands of published books and manuscripts and very few of them tell a story and capture experiences of engaging, feeling and empathizing the way Snyder and Graegin do here. To read Listen is to listen - the text and illustrations are so powerful that you genuinely experience the story along with the protagonist. Snyder includes superlative back matter that expands on and deepens the experience of reading this marvelous book. I'll be honest, as I read the first pages