Inspiration starts with being attentive and experiencing wonder. From these simple acts, genuine interest can grow and serve as an antidote to the blasé attitudes that people — even, unfortunately, young ones — sometimes slip into.
The girl who narrates Noticing starts out as one such disenchanted young person. When an unfamiliar voice remarks about the beautiful day, the girl replies, "It's okay, I guess." She happens to be sitting under a gorgeously gnarled old tree, with a fox, an owl, and two squirrels perched nearby, but she doesn't even see them.
The voice belongs to an older artist who befriends the girl and teaches her to be observant, appreciative, and excited about what's around — and within — her. When the girl comments that she's "Just a kid like any other kid, I suppose," the artist notes her rare and unique possibilities, and explains:
"Everyone shines and needs to be seen. Everyone wants to know that they matter, that there is a place for them, that they are needed. Sure, some may hide their brilliance, but the light is in there, always flickering, and it is a beautiful thing when we can reflect it back to them."
Australian artist Elise Hurst's nuanced pictures had us enjoying the beauty of single leaves drifting down and the extraordinarily intricate architecture of bark. But the best part was the expressive character of the girl's and the artist's faces, especially as the girl changed over time.
Kobi Yamada is a New York Times bestselling author who lives with his family in the Pacific Northwest, where he can catch a glimpse of the marvelous every day. Noticing is designed for five- to eight-year-old readers, but of course the reminder to fill our lives with attentive wonder has no age limits.
