Many children feel deeply but do not always have the words or confidence to express those feelings. Books can become a powerful bridge for understanding and emotional connection. In this special blog, one of our DB&A child and family therapists shares her perspective on a story that beautifully supports and validates sensitive children.
Pull Quote:
“Resources like The Highly Sensitive Rabbit can be a gentle, validating way to help sensitive children understand that their sensitivity is not a flaw, but a strength.”
From the therapist’s review
The Highly Sensitive Rabbit: A Book for Sensitive Kids (and Their Grown-Ups)
As a highly sensitive person myself, I know firsthand the pain of not being understood, how easily sensitivity can turn into shame, self-doubt, and a quiet erosion of self-esteem when it isn’t met with care.
Recently, I was genuinely delighted to hear Dr. Judith Orloff interviewed on one of my favourite podcasts. She was sharing about her newly released children’s book, The Highly Sensitive Rabbit, co-written with Jennifer Adams and beautifully illustrated by Katy Tanis.
The book is grounded in Dr. Judith Orloff’s teachings on how to live an empowered life as an empath. Dr. Orloff is an American, board-certified psychiatrist who has written extensively about empaths and highly sensitive people. I often direct clients to her website, where she offers a free “empath quiz” that can help people explore whether they are empaths, and to what degree.
In my own counselling and art therapy practice, I work with many children, teens, and adults who identify as highly sensitive or empathic, often long before they have the language for it. So many of them have spent years feeling “too much” or “too sensitive,” when in fact their nervous systems are simply wired to pick up more. Resources like The Highly Sensitive Rabbit can be a gentle, validating way to help sensitive children (and the adults who care for them) understand that their sensitivity is not a flaw, but a strength that can be supported, protected, and celebrated.
What the Story Is About
The Highly Sensitive Rabbit follows Aurora, a young cottontail rabbit who lives in the Sonoran Desert. Aurora feels everything deeply: the beauty of nature, the moods of those around her, and the worries that live in her mind. Her siblings sometimes tease her for being “too sensitive” and often leave her out of their rough-and-tumble play.
When a sudden flash flood destroys the family’s burrow, Aurora’s sensitivity is pushed to its limits. On her journey, she meets several desert animals, each offering a different lesson about kindness, self-care, and how to honour her feelings.
Through these encounters, Aurora begins to discover practical tools to soothe and protect her sensitive nervous system, such as:
- Taking time alone to recharge
- Using calming breathing techniques
- Listening to her intuition about what feels safe and right
- Setting gentle but clear boundaries with others
By the end of the story, Aurora learns that being highly sensitive doesn’t make her weak or “too much,” it makes her caring, perceptive, and strong in her own way.
Why I Love This Book as a Therapist
There are a few reasons I’m especially drawn to this book in my work with children and families:
- It gives sensitivity a name and a story. Many children know they feel “different” but don’t know why. Seeing their inner world reflected in Aurora’s experience can be incredibly normalizing and relieving.
- It offers simple, body-based regulation tools. Instead of just telling kids to “calm down,” the story gently models concrete strategies, breathing, solitude, and boundaries, that fit very well with nervous-system-based and trauma-informed approaches I use in therapy.
- It speaks to both kids and adults. Although it’s written for children (roughly ages 4–8), the themes of shame, self-acceptance, and learning to honour one’s sensitivity are just as meaningful for parents, caregivers, teachers, and the “inner child” inside many adults.
- It weaves in a sense of place and nature. The Sonoran Desert setting and the animals Aurora meets along the way can spark curiosity and a sense of connection with the natural world, something many sensitive nervous systems respond to very positively.
Who I Recommend It For
I would particularly recommend The Highly Sensitive Rabbit for:
- Children who are easily overwhelmed by noise, crowds, or intense emotions
· Kids who are deeply caring, worried, or “old souls” beyond their years
· Siblings or classmates of highly sensitive children, to help them understand and empathize
· Parents, caregivers, teachers, and therapists who want a gentle, story-based way to start conversations about sensitivity and emotional regulation
It can be read at home as a bedtime story, in a classroom or library setting, or as part of a therapy session. For younger kids, simply enjoying the story and illustrations is enough. For older children, you might pause and ask questions such as:
· “When have you felt like Aurora?”
· “What helps your body feel calm when you’re overwhelmed?”
· “Who in your life understands your sensitivity?”
Bringing It Into Therapy and Home Life
In my counselling and art therapy work, I can imagine using The Highly Sensitive Rabbit alongside art, play, and somatic tools, for example:
· Inviting children to draw their own “inner Aurora” or a sensitive animal helper that understands their feelings
· Creating a picture of a safe “burrow” or cozy place that helps their bodies feel calm
· Exploring what kinds of boundaries and supports might go on their personal “sensitivity shield”
Parents might use the story as a starting point to validate their child’s feelings:
· “Your sensitivity is not a problem, it’s part of what makes you you.”
· “Let’s figure out what helps your sensitive body feel safe and steady.”
If you or your child identifies as highly sensitive or empathic and you’d like support in understanding and working with that sensitivity, instead of fighting against it, this is a big part of the work I love to do.
Book Details and Where to Find It
Title: The Highly Sensitive Rabbit
Authors: Dr. Judith Orloff and Jennifer Adams
Illustrator: Katy Tanis
Publisher: St. Martin’s Essentials and Sounds True
To learn more about the book or Dr. Orloff’s work with empaths and highly sensitive people, you can visit her website and explore her resources (including a free empath quiz), or check your preferred booksellers and local or independent bookstores you’d like to support.
Final Thoughts
Stories have a unique way of helping children feel seen and understood. Books like The Highly Sensitive Rabbit can open gentle conversations, support emotional awareness, and create shared language around sensitivity. For many families, this kind of story becomes a bridge to deeper understanding and connection.
If your child identifies as highly sensitive, or if you would like support in helping them understand and navigate their emotional world, our child therapists in Langley, BC are here to help. Reach out anytime to connect with a member of our team.
Additional Resources
🔗 Author / Website Link
Additional Resource: Author and Book Information
- Dr. Judith Orloff, MD
Learn more about Dr. Orloff’s work with empaths and highly sensitive people, including articles, videos, and resources for understanding sensitivity and emotional wellness. - Empath Self-Assessment Quiz
A simple self-assessment created by Dr. Orloff that helps adults and older children explore their level of sensitivity and empathic traits in a gentle, accessible way.
About the Author:
Nancy Orlikow, MA, RCC, BCATR
Therapist at Darcy Bailey & Associates Counselling
Nancy is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Art Therapist who specializes in supporting highly sensitive children, teens, and adults. With extensive training in child development, play and expressive therapies, and nervous-system focused approaches, she helps clients understand and work with their sensitivity in empowering and compassionate ways.
Nancy has years of experience helping children navigate overwhelm, emotional intensity, anxiety, and big feelings through creative, gentle, and developmentally attuned methods. Her work combines art therapy, play-based approaches, somatic awareness, and nervous system regulation to support children in building confidence and emotional resilience.
As a highly sensitive person herself, Nancy brings deep empathy and personal insight into her work. She is passionate about helping sensitive children feel understood, validated, and supported, and she regularly integrates books, creativity, and storytelling into her sessions to help young clients make sense of their inner world.
To learn more or to book a session with Nancy, visit Darcy Bailey & Associates Counselling in Langley, BC.
