WAKING BEN DOLDRUMS

A neighbor feels down.

There are four apartments in the big house. Narrator Frida Bellows and their father live in the bottom left one. Ben Doldrums, a single university student, lives above them. Each morning, the Bellowses’ parrot wakes them. They tap on their ceiling to wake Ben, who gets up to rap on the wall to the family next door; they in turn knock on their floor to wake the two women in the final apartment. They are all part of “something big.” One day, Frida doesn’t hear Ben’s footsteps, so after waking the neighbors, the child checks on Ben, who’s still lying in bed, not knowing exactly how he feels. The tenants each try to cheer Ben up in their own way, but nothing works. Finally, Frida gives Ben an old broom handle so he can tap on the wall without getting out of bed, if he needs to. The system works. Smith creates a microcosmic metaphor for supporting someone with depression. It doesn’t matter why Ben is feeling down; what’s important is that he receives support so that he can then perform his regular duties with slight modifications. It’s a very social-focused lens. Eggenschwiler’s clean, smooth illustrations play with perspectives and with the cross sections of the apartment building. The Bellowses and Ben are light-skinned; the other neighbors are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sensitive and socially conscious take on mental health.