<p><b>The brand new novel by the author of <i>WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY</i> now available in translation<br> ___________</b><br> <br> <b>Readers adore <i>Healing Hippo</i>:<br> <i>'</i></b>I wanted to discover the magical <b>hippo in myself</b> as I read this book' *****<br> 'How does Aoyama depict human emotion so <b>vividly</b>? I imagined <b>myself</b> in this book' *****<br> 'I almost <b>wept</b> on my train home from work' *****<br> 'It <b>gripped my heart</b>. I wish there was a magical hippo near my home' *****<br> 'Whenever I feel hurt, I want to <b>re-read</b> this wonderful book' *****<br> ______________<br> <br> <b><i>'Kabahiko is an amazing hippo. People say that if you touch the area of his body that you want to make better on yours, he'll provide a cure'</i></b><br> <br> Nestling at the bottom of a five-storey apartment block is the children's playground, Hinode Park. If you look to the side, standing on stubby legs, is a hippo. Its upturned eyes give it a teary look, yet for decades, its quiet power has sustained the hearts of one community.<br> <br> Meet the neighbours who will reach out to kabahiko:<br> -<b>Kanato</b> presses his head to the hippo's cheek, hoping to recover the stellar marks he once scored;<br> - <b>Sawa</b>, a lonely new mother, strokes its mouth, hopes to connect as she once did when she was an award-winning retail assistant;<br> - <b>Chiharu,</b> a wedding-planner, hopes to be able to listen for the happiness of others;<br> - <b>Yuya</b> avoids sports day with a fake injury, only to find he really is in pain.<br> - despite <b>Kazuhiko<i>'</i></b>s fading eyes from too much editorial work, he will learn to see life's everyday wonders.<br> <br> <b>A quietly powerful story of hope, friendship and connection, Michiko Aoyama's beloved bestseller is a celebration of everyday encounters. Its subtle portrayal of the magic of community will lodge itself in every reader's heart.</b></p>