Hello, Sweet Baby: An Adoption Journey 

Hello, Sweet Baby: An Adoption Journey 
by Janeen Jackson (Author), Brittanie Gaja (Illustrator)
Paw Prints; August 22, 2023; Ages 4-7; 40 pages
Hardcover; $18.99; 978-1223186535; 11 x 8 1/2
Paperback; $8.99;‎ 978-1223186542; 10 3/4 x 8 1.2

Young and in love, Momma Red and Poppa Yellow Tomato decide to have a baby tomato. However, Momma and Poppa quickly learn that they cannot properly care for their sweet seedling the way they want and make the difficult decision to release her to another loving tomato family in Hopewell Garden, using the assistance of a helpful ladybug adoption agent. Hello, Sweet Baby is a heartfelt, magical story by a bright new talent about adoption, making tough choices, honoring differences, and celebrating different types of families.

About the Author: At age 46, Janeen Jackson received unexpected news through DNA technology: she was adopted and biracial. She found inspiration for this book in a small tomato garden at her son Phoenix’s elementary school. Writing this story was Janeen’s way of explaining her adoption, her mixed race background, the family that released her, and the family that adopted her and loved her as their own. Janeen was a longtime resident of Santa Monica, CA, and in 2022 moved to Evanston, IL, with her husband, Ron Clark, and their two sons, Tyson and Phoenix. She received her B.A. from the HBCU Norfolk State University and completed her master’s in Education Leadership and Change in 2020 from Antioch University. Hello, Sweet Baby is Janeen’s first children’s book. Janeen is represented by Jesse B. Creative and you can find her online at janeenjackson.com and read her blog mixedupdiary.com.

About Jesse B. Creative
Jesse B. Creative specializes in developing diverse children’s books on behalf of traditional publishers. They prioritize creating better access to and growth within the world of children’s books for artists from marginalized communities. Through its literary agency arm, Jesse B. Creative represents authors and illustrators of children’s books, prioritizing diverse creators. As a book packager, Jesse B. Creative develops children’s books for major publishers and delivers the books ready for print. And finally, through its Each Story Matters non-profit, the company has hosted more than 20 publishing workshops in the last two years while transforming kids into published authors. By Fall 2024, more than 300 kids will have become published authors. This program was created to give kids insight into the science and artistry of how stories come together; give them exposure to guest instructors from places like PIXAR, Marvel, and more; provide them with the pride of being published authors; and hopefully, reduce fear of and improve their relationship with literacy. Learn more about Jesse B. Creative at jessebcreative.com, and follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.