There was a good idea here, but some choices don't fully make sense. But first, what worked:
1. The main character, Aurora, is deeply in touch with nature and others' feelings, It will no doubt kickstart good habits in young readers.
2. The illustrations were stunning! Plants and animals were true-to-life, but also in beautiful watercolor an adorable detail.
3. Including various coping skills that kids can apply to their own lives was a very smart choice to make!

What didn't work:
1. The title felt...odd. It feels too rigid or formal for a kids' book. Additionally, I understand that it's supposed to make being sensitive a positive thing, but it actually does the opposite with the title.
2. The message was over-the-top. It's great that the authors are trying to show kids that being sensitive isn't a bad thing, and that it's actually pretty beneficial. However, you also don't want kids to take that message and become obsessive with it, which I feel like this book achieves (unfortunately). Put simply, there's a happy medium that needs to be found.

I used to be a highly sensitive child, and this book would have been perfect for me. Kids grow up with a natural sensitivity that the world teaches them to ignore as the world is cruel. I fell in love immediately with Aurora, who has never left that sensitivity behind no matter what the world brings her. She's taught by the parts of the world that she so adores how to keep what makes her her, and it doesn't crush her like the rest of the world would.

The fact that children are able to keep that sensitivity and love and empathy that they are naturally instilled with while setting boundaries and learning that people can accept them for how they are is such a heartwarming message and one I would gladly revisit over and over again.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the eARC for this book!

"The Highly Sensitive Rabbit" is a beautifully written and illustrated book that delivers an important message about sensitivity and self-acceptance. I loved how it wove practical techniques for overcoming challenges into the story, reinforcing that it’s okay to be sensitive and that our differences can be strengths.

The graphics were stunning, bringing the Sonoran Desert to life, and I especially appreciated the inclusion of facts about the animals and plants throughout the book. It added an educational layer that makes this a great read for both children and adults.

While some may find it more instructional in its approach, I think the beauty of the book lies in its ability to spark self-reflection and meaningful conversations. Whether read by a child with their parent or even used in a professional setting with children, the story creates space for important discussions about emotions, empathy, and resilience.

This is definitely a book I’d buy for my nieces and nephews—it’s a reminder that it’s okay not to be okay, and that sensitivity can be a gift rather than a weakness.

This was the sweetest book! The rabbit is very sensitive and as someone who is also very sensitive raising a highly sensitive child, I could relate. I loved that each animal provided a calming technique for the rabbit and the illustrations were absolutely beautiful. My children and I really enjoyed reading this book at bedtime and it opened a dialogue about emotions for all of us.

Thank you the the author and NetGalley for providing me this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Better to be sensitive than to miss all of the sweet and heart-tugging interactions between the animal characters in this imaginative story. Aurora feels things that most of her family and friends don’t seem to - the coyote howling at the winter moon, the fear of other small creatures who might be caught in the rain d the dark, and sometimes it’s all just too overwhelming to bear. By having conversations about how she feels with some of the other acquaintances that she finds as she wanders away from her family after they have been displaced by a huge, scary storm, she discovers ways to cope with her big feelings and also that she is t the sole animal who has these deeper experiences.
A lovely, memorable tale with lessons of kindness, empathy, and thoughtfulness. Recommended for reading aloud or for older readers to discover themselves.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I feel conflicted about this book, because the topic is one which is personal to both myself and my child.
I therefore wished for it to be a way to start a dialogue as well as give some tools in a child friendly way.

Unfortunately it feels a bit like the books is trying to fulfil a checklist:
1. An ‘empath’ feels this, this and that
2. They also worry about this and can be stuck like
3. And when something happens they will feel this
4. Ways to mange it are this, this and that.

The most fleshed out part of the story is what Aurora loves on the first two pages.
When other animals present a method of managing her sensitivity, it just says that she tried it and it helped.

On my opinion the book would have benefitted from a more fleshed out story so it didn’t JUST feel like a toolkit.

On the positive, I really enjoyed the use of flora and fauna from the dessert and the details about each of them in the back of the book.

I received this book as a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I found this story to be a little too didactic. That said, as a sensitive person myself, I ALSO had a few moments of self-reflection, feeling understood, and all those warm and fuzzies, so I hope that this book finds the readers who need it.

The Highly Sensitive Rabbit is a charming children's picture book about a young rabbit with a kinder and gentler approach to the surrounding world. the young rabbit stares up at the stars and the sky and ponders deeply about the universe. The rabbit appreciates the beauty of the natural environment. when interacting with other animals, such as the little rabbit's siblings, the rabbit forms greater connections to the dialogue and reactions of those around her. However, the rabbit's siblings begin to notice that Aurora is different. The other rabbits complain to their mother about how Aurora is spending too much time in deep and contemplative thought. Aurora eventually distances herself and befriends other animals who guide her along her own personal journey of self-discovery. Eventually, Aurora learns to accept herself exactly as she is and in turn learns to rebuild friendships with those who she became alienated from in her pursuit of deeper connections with the world around her.

Young readers will love The Highly Sensitive Rabbit because it teaches lessons such as believing in yourself even when those around us complain and indicate otherwise through their words and actions.

Beautifully written, beautiful illustrations and loved the key at the end with details of all the desert animals/plants that appear throughout the story. I read to my 5 year old son for bed and he loved Aurora very much.

I may even recommend this book to those who have lost their home due to the recent fires. It teaches you about coping skills to deal with the loss, how to set boundaries, and that support is there even if in different ways. Much love!

This is the story of desert animals and plants and what happens when there is a storm. The rabbit is highly sensitive and gets calming tips from many of the animals in the desert.

Netgalley ARC- beautiful illustrations of desert habitat accompany this emotional story that offers coping strategies to deal with the overwhelm of being sensitive. It can be a bit didactic and could have a more fleshed out plot, but it was still sweet with a good message.

Living in a world when you’re different from others and sensitive in nature is hard, but it’s also beautiful Aurora our main bunny character shows us that thru her story. The premise of the story peaked my interest, being a mama to a child that’s sensitive in nature im always looking for stories to help her understand her big emotions and feelings. I feel like it’s a cute story but could’ve been a bit longer and felt more cohesive, my daughter was excited to read it but she thought maybe she’d missed some pages as the story kinda bounced around, I agree and thought the same thing at times. I loved the end where all the animal and plant species were highlighted and explained I think that’s great in children’s books and allows us as parents to go back they the art work and have the kids identify them on page, similar to a sell and find title.

Beautiful book! This book is great whether you have a highly sensitive or empathic child or not.
After a tragic weather event, Aurora meets some neighbors that were affected too.Aurora learns from some of them what they do when things become too much. She realizes in the end her mother understands too.
It’s great at the end that all of the animals and plants that were featured in the story are described in detail.

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for the arc.

Aurora often feels like an outcast in her family because she's very sensitive, with her own emotions and taking on the emotions of others. When her family's desert home is destroyed by a flash flood, Aurora feels the loss deeply -- so deeply that she can't help her mother and siblings find a new space to rebuild. With the wisdom of some new friends along the way, she realizes that although she's incredibly sensitive, there *are* coping skills (like setting boundaries, alone time, etc.) that can help her not feel so overwhelmed.

A beautifully illustrated, sweet book for us sensitive souls.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a beautiful way to help young children accept their gift of being highly sensitive. Sometimes it feels like the rest of the world doesn't understand these emotions and it really brings them to life. Very well written ❤️