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To mindfulness teachers and practitioners everywhere. Thank you for showing us all how to be present, notice, and listen to ourselves, to others, and to the magic of the universe. —S.V.
For my dear Iván, who lives life through the magic of sound —J.P.
The illustrations in this book were made digitally. Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for and may be obtained from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-1-4197-6165-2 Text © 2024 Susan Verde Illustrations © 2024 Juliana Perdomo Book design by Heather Kelly Published in 2024 by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in China This is an advance, uncorrected proof. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Not for resale, duplication, or Abrams Books for Young Readers are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiumsreposting. and promotions as well as fundraisingdo or educational use. Special editions can also be created Please not quote without to specification. For details, contact specialsales@abramsbooks.com or the address below. comparison to the finished book. Abrams® is a registered trademark of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
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by
illustrated by
SUSAN VERDE
JULIANA PERDOMO Abrams Books for Young Readers New York
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All day long there are sounds. I hear them, telling me the world is busy— and so am I.
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But when I find stillness and make the choice to pause, breathe, and give each sound my careful attention, I can listen.
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That is when the world slows down, and so do I, and I begin to understand. Listening tells me more. AreYouListening_INT_RTP_5-30-23.indd 9
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I can hear the noisiness of nature . . .
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But I can listen to a mama bird lovingly singing to her babies, to the humming of a bee sipping from a flower, to the whispers of a breeze talking to the trees and the leaves’ rustling response. And I notice everything is alive. What do you notice when you listen?
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I can hear the hustle and bustle of a city street . . .
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But I can listen
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to the fire truck siren yelling, “Move aside! We are in a hurry!” To the cars honking “Go ahead,” their tires screeching as they stop and wait. And I learn that loud can mean help is on its way. What do you learn when you listen?
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I can hear the commotion of my classroom . . .
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But I can listen to the lingering ring of the chime that starts our day, to the smooth glide of a paintbrush against paper, to the gentle voice of my teacher reading a story and speaking words of kindness. And I know I am part of a creative and caring community. What do you know when you listen?
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I can hear a friend talking . . .
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But I can listen to the tone and pace of each word, to the sadness, joy, worry, or excitement in their voice, to only them and all they want to share.
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And I understand if they need my words,
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my hugs, or just my listening ears.
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What do you understand when you listen?
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I can hear my own body working . . .
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But I can listen to my slow, deep breathing, to the beating of my heart, to the grumblings of my belly, to my own thoughts, wishes, and questions that arise: How am I feeling? What do I need?
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And I discover how to take care of me. What do you discover when you listen? AreYouListening_INT_cx1prf_7-17-23.indd 29
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I can hear the activity of bedtime . . .
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But I can listen to the clicking off of light switches, to my heavy head landing on a soft pillow, to the love in the lullaby my papa sings to me, to the silence of a magnificent night sky. And in the cozy comfort, I find myself drifting off to sleep. What do you find when you listen?
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We can hear.
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But listening is the feeling in our hearts when we take the time to savor all that the world is telling us. This glorious universe has so much to share.
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AUTHOR’S NOTE The world is a sensory experience. We look, hear, taste,
we can be curious and engaged. Listening can help us
touch, and smell what is all around us. And when one
when we feel anxious or overwhelmed by grounding
of our senses isn’t accessible, we turn to others to
us in a sound. It can also open us up to understanding
help us navigate our lives. But sometimes we move
what is happening all around and inside of us. Try the
so quickly through our day that we forget to stop and
following exercise to help practice listening.
pay attention. What would happen if we were to slow
You can sit, stand, or even lie down for this practice,
down and go a little deeper with our senses? Instead
as long as you are comfortable enough to be still for a
of just hearing all that is around us, what if we tried
few minutes. Try closing your eyes so you can really
listening? Have you ever thought about the difference?
focus on your listening. Take a deep breath in through
We are hearing all the time without even trying; noise
your nose, then a long, slow exhale to give yourself
comes in and out. But listening is what happens when
a moment to be fully present. Now, imagine opening
we take the time to savor the sounds around us. When
your ears as far and wide as you can, and listen. What
we listen, we are showing the world empathy and
sounds do you notice? Wind? Trees? Cars? A noise
kindness, because we care about what it has to say.
inside the building or classroom? Maybe a noise that
Listening is how we understand the meaning behind
isn’t familiar? Spend a few minutes with each sound.
noises. It’s how we know what is needed in and outside of ourselves. Listening is an act of love. Are You Listening? is all about slowing down, giving
Now bring your attention to the sounds inside your own body. Is your tummy growling? Is your heartbeat loud or soft? What does swallowing sound like? Or
everyday sounds our careful This attention, and advance, listening to uncorrected breathing? Are there new noises? Again, spend a few is an proof. the messages of this big universe. It’s my hope that this duplication, minutes with those Not for resale, or sounds. When you are done, slowly book will lead to an exploration of and conversation open quote your eyes and notice how you feel. What was it reposting. Please do not without about what it means to listen—to ourselves, to each
to be so still that you could listen instead of simply comparison to thelike finished book.
other, to the world—not just with our ears, but with our
hearing? Maybe you noticed a whoosh in the wind, or
whole hearts. Can you listen to what someone needs?
a message of love or comfort. Maybe you noticed you
What you need? Life happening in nature? Love?
are hungry or sleepy, or you feel gratitude for your
Silence? What does it all sound like to you? You may be
body that is always working for you.
surprised by what you discover and how it makes you feel inside. It can be fun to follow this exercise with drawing, writing, or talking about your experience. Ask yourself, Mindfulness practices are one way of creating a deeper
what does it mean to listen, and how does it feel to
connection to your world using your senses. If we take the
give the world your full attention? You will be amazed
time to pause, breathe, and be in the present moment,
at what you discover.
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