REVIEW: Happy Pants: Why is Mummy so sad?

 

Happy Pants proves PND affects the entire family.

Words: Heather Gallagher

Pictures: Liz McGrath

Wombat Books, 2014

Perinatal, or post-natal, depression (PND) affects one in seven new mothers and one in 10 new fathers in Australia, according to the end notes of this book. Happy Pants, written from the perspective of a child, shows how the illness impacts an entire family; that support and understanding is needed; and that there is no quick-fix. But this is not a clinical examination of the illness - it's written from the perspective of a child, who knows Mum isn't her usual self but doesn't know why.

Personal struggle inspires PND story

Happy Pants shows post-natal depression
affects the entire family, and it's no-one's fault.

Happy Pants

Writer: Heather Gallagher

Illustrator: Liz McGrath

Publisher: Wombat Books

A personal battle with post-natal, or perinatal, depression drove Heather Gallagher to write Happy Pants out of a desire to help families understand the illness together.

“During my own battle with PND, one of my greatest concerns was the possible impact I was having on my children,” Heather said. “It’s no-one’s fault.”