When The Sky Feels Heavy product reviews

Mr Two's reaction to When The Sky Feels Heavy was amazing. He was spellbound by the graphics as well as the strong rhyme scheme and was so impressed that he declared "That was a good book, Mum!" at the end. Rare praise indeed from a two-year-old. His mother enjoyed it just as much as she felt there was a strong message for parents as well as the child.

The humour in the book was equally appealing to both age groups. Mr Two, his sister Miss Five, and his mother all got the giggles when they came to the picture of the mother in the bathroom as that is an all too familiar event. All parents, both mums and dads, know the loss of personal space that comes with having small children who cannot understand why they should not be there for every event including those that take place in bathrooms! Going to the toilet alone is a thing of the past - as is the expectation of peace and quiet as small voices continue to yell for mum. This communal experience extends to pets as well of course; dogs and cats often insist on being included along with the toddlers. The parent's right to privacy ceases to exist.

The idea of portraying post-natal depression as a beast that takes over a new mother's life, clinging to her to the point of suffocation, is a clever way to show this overwhelming feeling in graphic form. It can hit anyone without warning. It is difficult to verbalise for those who have never suffered it. I have no personal experience of it, but I do have friends and a family member who have been through months of trauma. Having access to a book like this might have been useful in helping me to understand the effects on them and being able to help.

I liked the way the book portrays the victim as a good mother. After meeting his basic needs, she plays with her baby and keeps a close eye on him when he is in risky situations like playgrounds. Yet she judges herself, criticising her own changed appearance and questioning her right to a little "me time". That beast was present right from the time when she first gave birth, and it has grown bigger over the months. But it is not her fault that it is there, and she has done nothing wrong. She is not a "bad" mother. Once she acknowledges that the beast is real, she can ask for the help she needs. Accepting herself is the first step.