Waking Ben Doldrums

March 1, 2023
Grades K-3 Four groups of people live in a small apartment building, where they all share in a daily morning routine. The Bellowses (a father and daughter) knock on the ceiling to wake college student Ben Doldrums; he taps the wall to alert the Mercredis (a mom, dad, and son); they knock on their floor to wake the Reynoldses (two older women); then the Reynolds cat comes over to visit the Bellowses. Frida Bellows, the narrator, loves this ritual and becomes concerned when Ben does not want to get up. Cutaway illustrations depict several scenes at once, contrasting the activity in the other three apartments with Ben's apathy. The neighbors try to help Ben without success. Eventually, Frida gives him a broom so he can tap the wall without getting out of bed, allowing him to connect in a different way. The text does not use the word depression, but the situation is implied. The story does not mention him getting treatment, either, perhaps opening a dialogue for readers rather than providing a solution.

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May 1, 2023
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. (Picture book. 5-8)

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