Listen, Hippo!

Gabriel Evans

Puffin, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A4.99

9781761341700

Billy’s mind was in a whirl, jumping from one bad thought to another and his tummy felt like it was filled with scrambled eggs with extra chilli.  All he wanted to do was talk about what was making him so sad and uncertain, but when he tried to explain it to his best friend Hippo, Hippo interrupted and told Billy that he knew exactly what was needed.

And so he embarks on a day of busy-ness, full of the activities like dress-ups, pirate adventures, even a magic carpet ride, that would be sure to distract Billy and snap him out of his melancholy, but is that what Billy really needs?  Or is it something else?  And will Hippo realise that?

At a time when our children’s mental health seems to be of greatest concern ever, this is a story that will resonate with many – some because they are Billy, some because they are Hippo, and some because there are lessons to be learned.  Perhaps the current focus on mental health is because the stigma is slowly dissolving and we not only have the tools to talk about our feelings and fears, but we are using them.  However, is there any point in talking if no one is listening?  It is natural for those on the other side of the sadness to think that distraction is the best cure, partly because they don’t like to think of any friend being unhappy, but also because it’s a delicate area and we don’t have the skills to deal with  it.  So learning to listen, to offer the occasional comment that shows you are listening, and just being there and spending time can often be the greatest gift we can give.  There is an old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved, and that, in itself, can be enough without having to provide a solution.  

So while this might appear to be a story for young readers, it is, in fact, one for those who are slightly older – those who have a voice and want to speak, and those who need to learn to listen.