Groundbreaking communication tool launches

It would really help me if you… 

Elouise Quigan, with illustrations by Laura Bee

Haslett Street Books, 6 June 2023, RRP $44.95 Purchase from haslettstbooks.com 

A groundbreaking communication tool helps new parents say what they need – when the last thing you feel like doing is asking for help 

It would really help me if you… is a gorgeously illustrated Aotearoa-made flipbook that shares the highs and lows of life with a new baby, from broken nights and nappy blowouts, to joyful breakthroughs and good days… with a brilliant twist. 

The flipbook format lets you mix and match those daily ups and downs with how you’re really feeling, and what would really help right now. It’s a playful tool for sharing your state of mind with your wider circle of support – and a low-stress way to let people know what you need to make it through the exhilarating, exhausting whirl of new parenthood.

Creator Elouise Quigan has been there, with two babies born close together and the triple challenges of antenatal depression, a history of mental illness, and the sudden lack of a “village” during lockdowns.

“For me, becoming a parent, while long anticipated and much wanted, came with all sorts of unexpected feelings. And with so much of the focus on the baby, meeting your own needs is easier said than done. It would really help me if you… is the book I really wish I’d had back then.”

The book is grounded in research and hard-won experience: Elouise’s survey of 130 new parents found 96% said they’d ask for more help if they were to do it all again. “I wanted to create a gentle way to share feelings and ask for help, something that was both accessible and non-judgemental.” The clever flipbook design was the breakthrough.

It would really help me if you… is designed to stand in a visible spot like the kitchen bench or coffee table. The 81 full-colour illustrations by Laura Bee combine with Elouise’s words to wittily capture recognisable scenarios and relatable emotions. You can personalise the options, with blank pages to fill in your own stories and feelings. Easy to use and lovely to look at, it’s a flipping delightful innovation.

A note from the author 

“When you’re in the thick of it, it can feel so difficult to reach out for help. The struggle to even get a meal on the table some days or finding five minutes to yourself to enjoy a simple cuppa, ideally still hot, is immense. I wanted to create something that acknowledges the feelings and encourages people to talk about them - rather than pretending they don’t exist, or sweeping them away behind a facade of ‘everything is okay’. 

A gentle ask for one tiny thing that would help - time for a shower, taking the baby for a walk – can be a way into a conversation about how things are really going. This flipbook isn’t just for primary carers and their partners. It’s something to share with all of your support people, such as siblings, in-laws and grandparents, and friends old and new. 

I hope it becomes a part of a much-needed cultural shift towards easier and more open conversations about the rollercoaster of baby days. This is something that should be in every new parent’s toolbox.”

About the author 

Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Elouise Quigan (she/her) is the mum of two kids, aged nearly five and nearly four. A former ad-exec, she has 20 years experience creating strategic and engaging communications for brands, retail businesses and non-profit organisations. 

All of which was a warm-up for the challenge of capturing the unexpected ups and downs of life with a new baby, like… tackling a monumental nappy blowout and wishing there were medals for that… envying your partner’s conversations with other adults… the incredible joy of that first ever gummy smile… and the unmatched bliss of a plain old egg sandwich.

 

For media queries, review and giveaway copies, extracts and interviews, contact Elouise at elouise@haslettstbooks.com or 027 773 7779

Haslett Street Books is an innovative publisher specialising in creating books that promote open and effective communication within families. It would really help me if you… is the first in a planned series of Flip Feel Focus communication tools. Haslettstbooks.com