Together for Mama
A Story of Hope and Healing
Pooja Makhijani author Nadia Alam illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Penguin Putnam Inc
Published:23rd Jun '26
Should be back in stock very soon

Asha loves baby Maya, and she's so happy to be a big sister. But Mama seems sad. Asha hears her whisper to Papa, 'I can't do this.' And hears Papa on the phone to Dadi and Nani, asking them to come. The next day, the two grandmothers arrive, ready to tidy and cook and comfort. 'Will Mama feel better?' Asha asks Nani. 'I believe she will,' Nani answers. 'Especially with our help.' This honest and empathetic story sheds light on a common challenge, providing young children and their parents with the knowledge and reassurance they need.
"Pencil and digital drawings sensitively capture Mama’s isolation and hint at other ways that the new arrival has complicated family dynamics. In this necessary, child-centered story, PPD is accurately depicted as treatable, Mama is supported without shame, and the whole family shares in Baby Maya’s care. Realistic yet tenderly optimistic." —Kirkus
★"It's a compassionate, fully nonjudgmental portrait of loving and supportive care.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The text is direct, making the book accessible to younger ones who may be experiencing a similar situation to Asha’s. Balance, color, and perspective are skillfully deployed to convey shifting emotions while emphasizing the emotional support the family is lucky to have. This will be incredibly useful to reassure little ones who are watching their parents struggle with an expanding family and all that it entails." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"This delicate and candid depiction of how postpartum depression affects the entire family is a recommended purchase." —School Library Journal
ISBN: 9798217003563
Dimensions: 238mm x 238mm x 9mm
Weight: 340g
32 pages