Waking Ben Doldrums

It’s nice to feel a part of something big. In Waking Ben Doldrums by Heather Smith and Byron Eggenschwiler readers learn a little bit about how the doldrums can get a person down and how we can come together in community to help lift them out.

Frida and her dad live in a Big House containing four units. Every morning the neighbours have their routine to help wake each other up and get ready for the day. One day, Ben Doldrums doesn’t complete his part of the routine. That continues for days. Frida is feeling angry and the rest of the neighbours are getting a bit worried about Ben. They come together to try and help lift Ben out of his doldrums.

Heather Smith takes a pretty heavy topic like depression and weaves a story that will leave readers with understanding as well as empathy. I love how she is bringing the word doldrums into the vocabulary for young readers. It’s so nice when children’s authors are honest and forthright with young readers. Frida’s reactions to Ben are very honest. She doesn’t understand what’s going on and she knows that Ben is messing up their routine but even in her anger, she realizes that he needs a kind and empathetic solution.

Waking Ben Doldrums is a beautiful story about community and being there for each other. All of the neighbours try and lift Ben out of his doldrums and even though they are not successful, they check in on him and let him know that he is an important and integral part of their community ecosystem. The way Ben describes how he is feeling is so on the nose as well. Often times we don’t know how to articulate feelings of depression as they manifest in so many different ways.

Byron Eggenschwiler’s art in this book is perfect. Not his usual style but perfectly suited to the tone of the story. It’s honest and forthright just as the story is and there are still many moments that will keep readers coming back to the pages to find something they may have missed inside the Big House.