Book Review: The Listening Story

In The Listening Story by Not So Serious Jack we meet young Emma who feels like nobody listens to her, but soon she learns the joy of helping and listening to different people in her neighborhood. I liked how Emma is portrayed as a resourceful, intelligent girl wearing jeans and a shirt, not the typical frilly-dressed girly wannabe-princess. In the first picture of the book, Emma is seen at the front porch feeling upset, and in the last picture, Emma is seen at the same place feeling happy and excited. This was a nice visual touch to bring the story of the book together. One thing in the book left me wondering, though. Emma's dad is rather ignorant of Emma's emotions, and Emma's teenage sister rejects her empathy and does not return it. These relationships are not resolved in the book, so I'd like to see a sequel where Emma's family appreciates her efforts and opinions and perhaps learns from her growth. Overall, this children's book was a delight to read, and it deals with its topic in a fresh and clever way.

The Listening Story

4 out of 5