Waiting for a special event to begin or a special someone to arrive can be hard, especially for kids. Though let’s be honest, adults can be pretty impatient too. 

Keep Your Ears Wide Open
Céline Claire
Illustrated by Marie Lafrance

The Secret Mountain
$19.95
cloth
36pp
9782898360985

He is so anxious for Angus to arrive that every sound seems to signal his brother’s return – the train’s whistle, and the rumble of an approaching car – yet Angus does not appear. 

Instead, Russell encounters many strangers in need: a traveller who has missed the last train to her destination, a family whose car has broken down, and even a cold, wet dog. By going out of his way to lend a hand, Russell’s wait becomes a little less lonely. 

The pastoral scenes of Russell’s world are rendered by Marie Lafrance in a subdued palette, with the exception of his vibrant red hair. The characters have a paper doll quality, striking static poses as though suspended in time.

Keep Your Ears Wide Open is about anticipation, patience, and empathy. Russell does not let his impatience cloud his empathic instincts towards other people, and when the time comes for his new friends to return his kindness, they give back willingly.

Empathy also heightens Russell’s powers of observation (or rather, his keen listening), so that when the anticipatory note of Angus’s return finally rings, the brothers reunite in dramatic fashion. mRb