From academics and parental expectations to extra-curricular activities and peer pressure, children today are under a lot of stress and anxiety. Released on the occasion of World Mental Health Day in October, Mumbai-based Vaishali Shroff’s new book, “The Boy In The Dark Hole” addresses this important theme.
The book tells the sweet story of a 10-year-old boy who struggles with the burden of parental expectations. The protagonist, mysteriously named SP (you will discover the reason behind it as the story unfurls), gets a discarded cardboard tube from his mother. Sitting in a dark room, SP peers into the darkness of the tube and is reminded of all the times when he experienced negative emotions such as sadness, anger, frustration or irritation. The dark hole is a metaphor of his mental state. Imagining himself to be falling through it, he keeps wondering if there is any end at all to the dark hole.
Shroff believes that in today’s scenario, there is a need to raise awareness about the mental health of children. “This book intends to make children get in touch with their emotions.” Shroff tells “The Hindu in School”. “It teaches children how to go from your dark place to your happy place.”
Caught in the deep throes of depression, SP’s friends Lobo and Kuhu help him see the light at the end of the tunnel. Usually in books, the protagonists are the heroes – but what I wanted to tell through this book is that there are many children who are not equipped to be those heroes. Not everybody is like a knight in shining armour. Sometimes, they themselves need help. So this book is about not being afraid to seek help from others when you actually need it,” she says.
Understanding children’s mental health has become pertinent during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, adds Shroff. “In this lockdown, it’s been ten months since most children have met their school friends. So this book also tells children that you need to check on your friends and ensure that they are doing good mentally.” she says.
Did you know?
- Shroff runs a children’s storytelling club. Started in 2009 in Pune, the club functions in Mumbai as well and during the coronavirus pandemic it has been meeting regularly online.
- Shroff made a foray into writing through poetry. Her first poem was published during the 1993 Mumbai riots. The fan mails and appreciation she received encouraged her to write more.
- Her stories are inspired by real-life experiences and tackle complex topics. Her second book “The Missing Bat” by Pratham Books is based on her travels in Kashmir. “Ari” is about an introverted, shy boy. “The Strange Case of Nayantara” is about consent.
- Her latest, ‘The Boy in the Dark Hole”, has been illustrated by Samidha Gunjal. Her beautiful illustrations bring the story to life and help us empathise with SP’s struggle.
Author bio
Vaishali Shroff is an award-winning children’s author and columnist based in Mumbai. A prolific author, she has written more than 200 stories, both fiction and non-fiction. She likes to write stories about subjects that are challenging and pertinent, and that serve as icebreakers during difficult conversations. Some of her popular books are “The Adventures of Padma and the Blue Dinosaur”, “The Missing Bat”, “The Strange Case of Nayantara”, “Raindrops” and “Ari”.
Picture Credit : Google