Where Does it Hurt by Samina Mishra (Duckbill, Penguin Random House) asks a basic question to open up possibilities of alleviating pain. This question is -where does it hurt? With physical pain it is easy to pinpoint a specific area or to state exactly where a pain or hurt is located. But, when someone is hurting emotionally or mentally, it could help to pause and ponder, locate the hurt so that it can be addressed.
The book opens up with a sensitive teacher asking a child having difficulty with math, where does it hurt? The child replies that the numbers are poking in her brain and forcing her to shut her eyes. The teacher ‘prescribes’ a cure, gently giving the child a little art activity to help her deal with the overwhelm.
The book alternates between physical and emotional hurt, keeping them at par with each other. Whether it is the ‘mummy shaped hole in the heart’ of a child who has lost their mother, or the hurt in the whole body, experienced by a child whose house was destroyed in a bomb blast, the book gently provides a language for hurt. It gives the reader a way to navigate conversations with someone who may be experiencing pain.
Beautiful illustrations by Allen Shaw capture the empathic tone of the text. A common factor across the varied instances provided in the book is that it is the kindness and understanding of people around you that is the seed of the cure! And what does that kindness start with? It starts with the simple question- Where Does it Hurt?
This is a book that opens a little door to empathy and shows us the magic of simply caring! Where Does it Hurt by Samina Mishra should definitely be an important addition to school and personal libraries!
