Published by Amistad Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Emmalene is blind, but as she walks with her grandmother to church, she hears the song of the city: the pitter-patter of water falling, the sizzle-sizzle of a hot dog cooking, the honky-honk of a car.  She keeps trying to get her grandmother to stop and listen, but Grandma Jean is in too much of a hurry.  At church, Grandma enjoys the music of the choir, but Emmalene gets frustrated that she can’t hear the other music that Emmalene hears.  Finally, she puts her hand over her grandmother’s eyes, so that Grandma is forced to use only her ears.  Finally. Grandma hears the song of the city, and with tears in her eyes, hugs her granddaughter, and they listen together.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A story that will encourage kids to listen mindfully to the sounds around them.  Emmalene is a happy and independent girl who finds her way through the city with a cane.  The illustrations are a riot of colors, and the ones that show Grandma listening without using her eyes (black with streaks of color) capture the moment perfectly.

Cons:  Grandma is annoyingly stubborn about listening to her wise granddaughter.