A beautiful book about a young girl that listens to people's hearts and not their words in the best way.

We couldn't have loved this book more! Listening is a hard chore in this house, especially for my very hyper 2nd grader. Listening with your heart... now that is a whole different concept. Being watchful and mindful, careful and empathetic, doing what needs to be done and not necessarily just the chore that you were specifically assigned; and then seeing how these are the actions and qualities that make you a truly beautiful person. This is a priceless lesson that we will continue to revisit, explore, and discuss through the years. ( )

Outwardly, this story shows some resemblance to Cinderella. A selfish stepmother and stepsister force a girl to serve them as their maid. Through magic, the girl's beauty becomes apparent in the end. What deepens this story is that the turning point revolves around the girl's capacity for empathy. "I listened to her heart," she explains about an old woman the girl encounters. - Marla S. ( )

A thought provoking children's story ideal for bedtime. The story can help children to consider losing parents and the changing family circumstances this might bring. It is based around helping with household chores and helping others. For me, the main learning is at the end and is to do with how people that are sad might not ask for the help they really want, but that being kind and giving practical help is maybe what is wanted. The young heroine goes round to the house of a strange neighbour without telling anyone where she is going yet after doing the right thing there with a brave heart, there is a reward unasked for. I'm not worried about this encouraging my children to go to strangers houses without telling anyone where they were going. ( )

A sweet story. The last paragraph summarizes the story gest:
And everyone remembered Shiraz, too - the girl with a brave heart, who had listened and had
understood that when people are sad, they do not always know how to ask for what they need. ( )