The Story

Adventures of the Littlest Astronaut explores a deeply serious and intimate issue in an open-hearted, whimsical way.

Sam is a little boy whose baby brother Oliver is born blue and needs to be on oxygen. Sam is scared and uncomfortable with all of the medical equipment and is not sure how to connect with Oliver.

Sam's father opens up a whole new world for Sam. He explains that Oliver needs an oxygen pack just like an astronaut exploring space does. He invites Sam to take his baby brother Oliver for a space adventure and Sam's trepidation turns into delight.

So begins the story of the littlest astronaut, a picture book about a little boy with a new baby brother who needs to be on oxygen.

The boy is scared and uncomfortable with all of the medical equipment his new baby brother’s medical needs require. He is not sure how to connect with his sibling.

His father sits with him and explains that the new baby is just like an astronaut exploring space, he just happens to need an oxygen tank and tubes to adapt to his new environment. He invites the boy to take his brother for a spacewalk, and the trepidation turns into delight.

The story represents the journey we went through as parents when our youngest son was born with Down syndrome and a heart defect and needed to be on supplemental oxygen for many months.

It is a story that I hope will touch the lives of the half a million U.S. families whose babies end up in the NICU every year.

Please contact me if you are interested in this book.

T.M. Pixley

Illustration by Josephine Thomason

Sam visits Oliver in the hospital. Illustration by Josephine Thomason