Extra! The Book About a Very Longed-For Baby

Lucas wonders what it takes to make a baby. Mommy tells him that babies are made with a sperm and an egg but that some babies, like him, take extra.

But what does it mean to be ‘extra’?

Extra! by Kaeleigh MacDonald tells the story of Lucas, a little boy whose mummy and daddy needed a little bit extra to bring him about! One day, in the supermarket, Lucas sees a pregnant lady, and he wonders how this happened. Most parents will have to deal with the question of where babies come from, but not all parents will have to tell the story of how it took a little “extra” to make the baby. This question launches Lucas into a day full of discovery. He and his friends begin to uncover what makes you ‘extra’, coming to the conclusion that Lucas must be a superhero! In the end, we discover that it took a lot of extra time and patience for Lucas’ parents to have him, and not only is he extra like a superhero, but his mummy and daddy are too! Covering many family building options, Extra! shows that even when parents struggle to conceive, they can go on to become a family, and that being ‘extra’ is wonderful!

“You know, not all babies can be made just like that. Sometimes, there needs to be a little extra to make a baby. Like you! You needed extra.”

Extra! deftly covers lots of different kinds of family setups, and also creates the beginning of a conversation that can be had at any age about how babies are made, and how sometimes the parents need a little help with conceiving. Surrogacy, IVF and sperm donation are all covered in a way that children can understand and relate to. Parents can then continue the conversation with their children about how some babies need a little bit “extra” to be made. Extra! creates a learning environment that is inclusive and easy to understand, and allows children to become aware of something that they haven’t come across, or to make sense of something they have experience of but may not fully comprehend. Don’t let this wonderful conversation end with the book, keep the questions and interaction going! Superhero capes are of course optional, but generally encouraged!

Working With Happydesigner

Kaeleigh MacDonald, the author of Extra! is an infertility author and advocate. She runs the popular infertility blog, “Unpregnant Chicken“, where she writes her musings on the wild world that is ‘trying to conceive’. Her son was conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and it was her love of his science-based conception story that prompted this book. She lives in Alberta, Canada with her family.

“When I wrote my story Extra! I knew that I would have to find a fabulous illustrator who would be able to understand my story and characters and really bring them to life. That’s the thing about writing a picture book, it only works in as much as the pictures can captivate the audience! After hours of pouring over portfolios online, I came across Sarah’s site. Her watercolour style was exactly what I was looking for and she was incredibly responsive to any questions I had about the process. I was right to have chosen to work with her! The finished book is more than I could have dreamed, the vibrancy of the images and the way she captured my characters personality, have lead to the production of a gorgeous picture book that my young readers love! Every person who has viewed this book has commented on how beautiful it is, that’s all Sarah! Without Sarah’s skill and hard work this book wouldn’t have been a possibility, I highly recommend her to anyone who asks!”

Extra! was on Amazon’s Hot New Release list in Parenting and Families for 3 days and held the #1 spot during the first day. It also placed within the top 100 Books on the Best Sellers list for Parenting and Families during the first 2 days and peaked there at #31 (making it a “best seller”).