long, long ago, yet not so far away, when animal maker was creating giraffes, they loved all parts of their bodies except their ears. their ears heard so many things that it was hard to focus on what was most important to hear. animal maker let them try out a variety of ears, including mouse ears and elephant ears. finally, animal maker made a pair of ears that giraffes loved. these special ears helped giraffes hear the beauty in all hearts, even when the beauty was hidden. from the author: giraffe tales is a series of beautifully illustrated children's picture story books that are also set to music and narrated in the digital epub editions. giraffes, one of the land animals with the largest hearts, are sometimes referred to as symbols of nonviolent communication since our hearts are where we hold the feelings and needs we most cherish. in how the giraffe's got their ears, the giraffes find joy when they are able to hear the beautiful feelings and needs in all hearts, in other words, when they are able to empathize with each other. how giraffe's found their hearts is a story of the importance of being connected to our own hearts so we can live from our own values and joy. back matter includes discussion prompts and an activity.