THE HEALING HIPPO OF HINODE PARK

Five narrators give fine voice to Aoyama's newest collection of gentle, wise stories. This time the bestselling author introduces five people who live near Hinode Park playground. Each is struggling in some way, and each soon finds the playground's pink cement hippo, rumored to heal the wounded. The visitors include a schoolboy with failing grades; a new mother without friends; a wedding planner wishing to help others find happiness; a fellow who claims a fake injury, only to find that he's really hurt; and a man who seeks joy despite creeping blindness. The narrators' sensitive characterizations believably voice everyone from kids to seniors in this comforting, hopeful audio. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2025]