Rainbow Baby Book: Grow Big, Little Seed
Hello!
Welcome to another edition of my monthly perinatal psychology newsletter aimed at supporting perinatal, infant and child mental health practitioners and early childhood professionals who work with vulnerable families.
Today (August 22nd) is Rainbow Baby Day. It is a day to celebrate the rainbow babies and remember the babies who came before them, and honour each families' fertility journey.
"A rainbow baby is one that is born after a miscarriage or stillbirth. It’s perceived to be a symbol of hope and joy following a dark, stormy time….just like a rainbow after a storm."
Pregnancy After Loss Support?have lots of great suggestions on their website to help you get involved in Rainbow Baby Awareness Day. One recommendation is to read a?special children's book that honours a parent's?journey with a rainbow baby. Reading is a special way to bond with children and so many people who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss look for age-appropriate ways to share their losses with their children.?
I am very excited to share an interview with Australian picture book author?Bec Nanayakkara who has written a beautiful book called?Grow Big, Little Seed: A story about rainbow babies.?You can read the full interview below. This book would be such a lovely resource for many of the families we work.
First, just a few updates:
#rainbowbaby #NationalRainbowBabyDay Pregnancy After Loss Support
Rainbow Baby Book: Grow Big, Little Seed
An interview with Australian picture book author, Bec Nanayakarra
Q. For people who haven’t read Grow Big, Little Seed, can you tell us what it is about??
Grow Big, Little Seed ( Hardie Grant Publishing )?is a tender, hopeful picture book about miscarriage and pregnancy after loss. It’s?perfect for?children aged 2 to 7, and any family celebrating their new baby.
Nina plants a pumpkin seed as she awaits the arrival of her new sibling. But Nina’s seedling stops growing, as her mother’s pregnancy ends early. Time goes by and, eventually Nina finds the courage to plant another seed. This time, Nina’s seedling grows into a sprawling pumpkin plant and soon, her family embraces a joyful surprise with not one but?two?rainbow babies.
Q. What inspired you to write this book?
I’m a mum of five, so naturally I love stories that celebrate the joy of new babies. But I know that the journey to a new baby is not always all joyful. I have friends and family members who have experienced miscarriages. Some of them have gone on to have rainbow babies, but the memory of lost ones never goes away. I wanted to write a story that would allow families to celebrate their rainbow babies, while also acknowledging the pain of miscarriage and honouring the little siblings, no longer here.
Q. How did you convey the themes of grief and loss to a younger audience?
For a child listening to this story, Grow Big, Little Seed could simply be about a girl who plants a seed and hopes for it to grow. Nina’s mum’s pregnancy, the miscarriage and the arrival of two babies at the end are told only through the illustrations. Structuring the story this way, allows parents and children to uncover and unpack these difficult themes and topics together. Also, the story of Nina’s seedling - its death and Nina’s disappointment - eases young readers into themes of grief and loss, before tackling the complex emotions associated with miscarriage.
Q. Your book takes readers on a journey of loss and hope, why does the picture-book format help parents explain difficult emotions and life events to children?
Children can feel unsure how to process complex emotions, and they can be overwhelmed by the heaviness of their own situation.?With a picture book like Grow Big, Little Seed, parents have a platform to discuss difficult emotions and complicated life events without making it ‘about the child.’ Children can learn through the experience of the protagonist and, through the story, they can find language to talk about their own feelings and experiences.
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Q. What is the most exciting thing about bringing a story to life?
The most exciting thing about seeing this story come to life was the growing feeling that Grow Big, Little Seed was really going to mean a lot to a lot of people. There are so few picture books on this topic and, with one in five pregnancies ending in miscarriage, there are so many children and families out there who are missing little siblings. I am overjoyed that I have been able to share this story, that it has been so beautifully illustrated by Sarah Capon and so thoughtfully published by Hardie Grant.
Q. The illustrations in this book are gorgeous, what was it like to collaborate with illustrator?Sarah Capon.
I loved watching Sarah bring this story to life. Her characters are bright and bold and her colours are so cheerful – which is really a perfect balance to a story that has some real sadness throughout.
Q. Can you tell us a little about the writing process?
I was living in Geelong and we had built a small garden bed out the back of our small property. We had a dream to grow pumpkins, but were yet to find the time and energy to do so.
One day I looked down at my baby bump (this was baby number 5), then across at my twins stuffing their faces with (store-bought) pumpkin, then out at my empty garden bed and, suddenly, this story appeared in my head. I spent the next few weeks working on it and then, strangely filed it away for a long time.
Every now and then I’d read it again, get a little teary-eyed and then put it away, feeling like it was too heavy for a children’s picture book. But eventually I shared it with some writing friends and they all loved it! Soon after that, I found a publisher who loved it too.
Q. What do you have planned for the future?
I find it hard (and mostly pointless) to plan more than a few days ahead, but it seems likely my future will involve more writing. As to what I will be writing, that is a mystery.
My second picture book The Book Star ( Affirm Press ) is about Book Week dress ups. My third picture book (out early next year with Woodslane Press) is a re-imagination of Banjo Paterson’s Waltzing Matilda, and picture book number four (out in 2026) is about social anxiety. I guess I’ll just keep writing wherever my ideas and passions take me.
Q. Australian authors are so supportive of each other, so let's pay it forward. Can you recommend another picture book author that may appeal to a similar audience?
Yes! My Little Star written by Rory H. Mather for his daughter Evie.
My sister is a star, I’m not on my own. As long as she looks down on me I’ll never be alone.
This is a beautiful and gentle exploration of grief and loss in memory of all the little stars who live in our night sky.
Thank you so much for your time Bec and for sharing the story behind your beautiful picture book Grow Big, Little Seed. Purchase from:
View an animated video reading of Grow Big, Little Seed here (takes you to Instagram). Follow Bec on Instagram to stay up to date with upcoming books.
This interview was originally posted on the Lauren Keegan Psychology Blog: https://www.laurenkeeganpsychologist.com/s/stories/rainbow-baby-book-grow-big-little-seed
Author Bio: Bec is a children's author who - having spent twelve years supporting student learning and wellbeing - is certain that the best way to teach anything is with a good story. Bec lives in the New England region of New South Wales with her husband and five children. She spends her days being inspired by ordinary, everyday pieces of life and her nights trying to weave that inspiration into picture book manuscripts.
That's it from me this month. To stay up to date with perinatal and infant mental health news and upcoming Marte Meo Practitioner Training, subscribe to my newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/4df103f3b498/perinatal-psychology