Who Stole Bhaiya’s Smile?

Read Aloud 🎧

Author: Sanjana Kapur is a children’s writer who enjoys exploring new places and the stories connected to them. She has written picture books and comics for Amar Chitra Katha, and also co-wrote Ruckus on the Road, her first full-length novel.

Source: https://storyweaver.org.in/en/users/44255-sanjana-kapur

Illustrator: Sunaina Coelho

Babakiki is a creative partnership between animation designers Fahad Faizal and Sunaina Coelho. They studied together at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and have worked on many projects since then. 

Source: https://storyweaver.org.in/en/users/4250-sunaina-coelho

Publisher: Pratham Books 

Year: 2020

Reading Level: Level 4

Genre: Realistic fiction; mental health

Synopsis

The story follows Chiru and her older brother who used to play together all the time. Slowly, Bhaiya stops playing, feels tired and becomes distant. Chiru imagines a monster called Dukduk sitting on his back and taking away his smile. Different family members try to fix him by giving advice but nothing really works. Chiru keeps trying to cheer him up but later understands that Bhaiya’s feelings are not simple to change. With time, support and help from a doctor, Bhaiya begins to feel a little better, though the monster does not fully go away.

Theme / Skill

1. Understanding emotions; 
2. Mental health awareness; 
3. Empathy

Pre-reading

• Ask children if they have ever felt very sad or tired without knowing why.
• Show the cover and ask who they think the “monster” might be.
• Talk about how feelings are sometimes hard to explain.

During reading

• Pause when Dukduk appears and ask what children think it represents.
• Discuss how Bhaiya’s behaviour changes across the story.
• Ask why the advice given by adults does not seem to help him.

Post-reading

• Talk about ways to support someone who is feeling low.
• Ask children how Chiru’s understanding changes by the end.
• Activity: children draw what their “sadness” might look like if it were a creature.

Reflection

I honestly adored this story. Dukduk is a monster but it is not something that can be fought or thrown away. Chiru tries her best to "remove" it. When someone we care about changes, the first instinct is to "fix them." There is also something uncomfortable in how adults respond. Everyone around Bhaiya keeps giving advice. Go for a walk. Eat properly. Think positive. Many of them dismiss what Bhaiya is feeling or reduce it to something small. It shows how mental health is often treated in everyday life. People want quick fixes because sitting with discomfort is harder.

Chiru also takes time to understand this. In the beginning, she treats Dukduk like a real enemy. She fights it, shouts at it, tries to distract Bhaiya. None of this works. Slowly, she stops trying to remove the problem and instead stays with Bhaiya. The story does not make the sadness disappear. Dukduk becomes smaller but it is still there. This portrayal makes it very raw. It depicts how depression sometimes overstays its welcome and managing it takes time and the right help.

References

Kapur, S. (2020). Who Stole Bhaiya’s Smile? Pratham Books.