Fiction & Poetry, Modern & Contemporary Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror , Science Fiction & Fantasy
The Healing Hippo Of Hinode Park
Paperback Published on: 21/05/2026; Language: English, Japanese (Original language of a translated text)
Price: £10.99
Bookseller Reviews
View all
A warm, gentle, and affecting read
In the wake of the success of the 'Before the coffee gets cold' series, and the flood of similar feel-good books, I thought Aoyama's book, 'What you are lo... READ MORE
A healing experience for characters and readers alike
A mesmerising and captivating reading experience! This book was purely a stress free comfort read for me, producing nothing more than feel good atmosphere ... READ MORE
Story of Kindness and Discovery!
“there’s a legend that if you touch the part of his body where you are hurting Kabahiko will heal it”
An easy read and a true feel-good factor about t... READ MORE
Uplifting and feel-good read
The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park is as an uplifting and feel-good Japanese translation that won’t just support but will grip your heart from the very start... READ MORE
A warm hug in the shape of a book
A wonderfully wholesome book that shows you how healing can come from within, and how the things we experience in life can have an impact on our health and... READ MORE
Synopsis
For lovers of Moo Deng and Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Discover the enchanting new feelgood novel where five overlapping lives seek comfort from a magical hippo ride:
Nestling at the bottom of a five-storey apartment block in the community of Advance Hill is the children's playground, Hinode Park, where you will find a very special hippo ride. According to urban legend, if you touch it with the area of your body that needs comfort, you will see swift signs of recovery.
Meet a couple of the neighbours who use the hippo ride, from a highschool student to an eighty-year-old cleaning lady:
-Kanato lays his head on the hippo's back, hoping to recover the confidence he lost when he started at his scary new school;
- Saha, a new mother with no friends, strokes its mouth, in case she can bring back the words she spoke when she was an award-winning retail assistant;
Three more neighbours will come to the magical hippo for help, as they discover how to resolve emotional pain for themselves, if their heart is open and their minds are at peace, in this deeply moving celebration of kindness, community and understanding.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
- ISBN: 9781804996560
- Number of pages: 240
- Dimensions: 197 x 126 x 17 mm
- Weight: 166g
- Languages: English, Japanese (Original language of a translated text)
Customer Reviews
View allEmbrace the healing hippo for a calming experience
A collection of loosely linked short stories with a theme of hope at their very core. I was instantly charmed by this book and the way in which the charact... READ MORE
A lovely gentle read about how to heal yourself
“If you touch the part of your body that hurts to the same part of Kabahiko, miracles of miracles, you’ll be healed. […] They call him healing Kabahiko. […... READ MORE
A cosy read
There’s just something about the constant presence of the Healing Hippo in this book that just illuminates warmth inside me. The Hippo is there for anyone ... READ MORE
Utterly charming!
"The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park" is a collection of short, overlapping stories about people who all live close by to a children's park and come across Ka... READ MORE
Everyone loves a Happy Hippo
No wonder this book is so popular. It’s the story of a giant hippo statue that is rumoured to heal you if you touch the part of the hippo where you’re hurt... READ MORE
A heart warming read
I really enjoyed this book. The characters all had their own struggles and it is a heart warming read. Thank you to Netgalley for this book.
A warm and compassionate read
Aoyama’s work is a joy like no other. Thoughtful, insightful and deeply compassionate, the world feels a little brighter after reading The Healing Hippo of... READ MORE
Kindness always wins, it's worth remembering
A book filled with simple and touching interconnected stories that all hold uncomplicated truths in a complicated world. heir simplicity says with you as y... READ MORE
Five stars!
This is such a tender and life-affirming book. Set around Hinode Park, where an old hippo ride named Kabahiko is believed to hold healing powers, the story... READ MORE
Gentle and full of insight
Gentle and full of insight.
The Pink hippo is a worn out feature of a small park near to a new apartment block.
There are five stories of people who he h... READ MORE
Great
'The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park' is a healing book indeed. Presenting various stories of people whose lives intersect somehow, the book does an amazing j... READ MORE
Cosy and comforting short stories
Another great collection of cosy short stories, in line with the previously published book by the same author. The characters all are going through somethi... READ MORE
Full of joy
I just love the books by this author. If you are looking for a quick, feelgood book then "The Healing Hippo of HInode Park" by Michiko Aoyama should tick t... READ MORE
left me a bit cold
I usually enjoy "quirky" books, particularly those translated from Japanese, but this one left me a bit cold. Comprising of interlinked short stories abou... READ MORE
Everyone loves a happy hippo
No wonder this book is so popular. It’s the story of a giant hippo statue that is rumoured to heal you if you touch the part of the hippo where you’re hurt... READ MORE
A Soft and Gentle Read
I absolutely adored ‘What You Are Looking For Is in the Library’ so when I saw that the author had another translation coming out, I knew I had to read it.... READ MORE
Divine!
I'm finding a love for Japanese fiction these days and this was no exception. A lovely book about healing and the belief in a Hippo to bring you calmness ... READ MORE
A lovely feel-good read
Another feelgood novel translated from the Japanese and once again there are five people who seek help and whose lives overlap. In a park near a brand new ... READ MORE
easy read
It is a collection of short stories that all have in common the hippo in the park.
I didn't feel the magic that ither books like these one have. The cha... READ MORE
Lovely stories
Kabahiko is a concrete hippo in a play park, he’s seen better days and his paint is faded, his eyes look like they might have tears in them, but he is alwa... READ MORE
A lovely little book
This is a collection of interlinked stories about various residents of a new condominium. Near to their homes is a small park where an orange hippo
is. ... READ MORE
Gorgeously written and conceived
This is the best book in this genre. This book was such an easy book to devour. The tales were relatable, the characters were so cute, and lovely. I read t... READ MORE