2026 Reading Challenge 2 of 24: A Translated Novel
The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park by Michiko Aoyama is a collection of loosely related short stories that revolve around a person living in the Advance Hill community experiencing a physical ailment due to personal issues they have to overcome. A local urban legend says that touching the hippo in the park in the same place where you have an ailment will cure you.
My only major gripe with this book is that the hippo is described as being distinctly orange multiple times, and yet, on the cover, it’s pink! Unacceptable!
Just kidding.
Overall, this was a very cozy, easy read— a good palate cleanser. The situations each stories surround are fairly simple and straightforward and they all are resolved in a satisfying and wholesome way.
The stories do tend to be a bit repetitive. All the characters live in the same apartment in the same town. They all find out about the hippo in the exact same way down to the wording.
If you’re looking for an optimistic, cozy read, consider picking up The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park.
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