Book Review: The Rabbit Listened

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeldis a picture book that offers a profound message wrapped in simplicity. When Taylor’s block tower is destroyed, a parade of animals rush in with suggestions - shouting, fixing, blaming, distracting - but none of them truly help. Only the rabbit, who sits in stillness and listens, provides what Taylor needs: space to feel and be.

This deceptively simple story touches the heart of what I believe both contemplative play and spiritual direction are all about. In a culture that often encourages us to fix, solve, or distract ourselves from discomfort, The Rabbit Listened offers another way: to make space, to stay present, to listen with compassion and without agenda.

This book holds special meaning for me personally. It was read aloud during my very first spiritual direction training residency. I remember feeling so nervous: uncertain why I was there and why it felt so hard when I thought I’d already come so far. Looking back, I now see it as an invitation to deeper healing. But at the time, I just felt raw and overwhelmed. And then this book appeared, a children’s story about a bunny. It felt like a love note from God: “I see you. I’m with you. It’s going to be okay.” (And if you don’t know this about me, we have a pet bunny at home, which made the moment all the more tender and affirming.)

Like the rabbit in the story, spiritual direction isn’t about fixing or offering advice. It’s about holding space with gentle presence. And contemplative play, too, invites this kind of listening—to ourselves, to God, to one another. Whether through storytelling, art, or simply being still, we practice attending to what is, without rushing to change it.

The Rabbit Listened is a beautiful resource for anyone who wants to nurture this kind of presence. It reminds us that healing doesn’t always come through doing. Sometimes, it comes through being still.