Hetty the Hen Who Couldn't Lay

by Sarah Igo and Rebecca Williamson (Illustrator)

Honesty is always the best policy. Especially when it comes backed up by a cracking allegory…

Meet Hetty the hen who just couldn’t lay. Journey with her and her plucky, clucky sisters as she strives for the one thing she is desperate for above all else; a chick of her own to love.

Written from the heart, by a mother who was told at the age of 14 that she could never have children, Hetty can be enjoyed as a story about kindness and sharing in its own right, or used to open a dialogue about egg donation and IVF.

This story was written to honour the author’s sister’s immeasurable act of love and altruism, (as Hetty says – ‘what’s in it for you? I can’t give one back, although I’d love to’) to help her daughter understand her own story and, in the hope that it might help other Hettys, Harriets and ‘chicks’ out there.

Press Coverage

ITV News Border 26/05/22

The Westmorland Gazette 26/05/22

Book Reviews

A wonderfully written book that explains a complex topic in simple & loving language. The book is about much more than infertility, love, giving & the joy of motherhood. The illustrations are simply beautiful - full of fun. As a former children's librarian, Mum & Granny, I absolutely recommend this book.

by Rita Krumins

What a beautifully written and illustrated book. No words for how much I love this and so do the kids. A must read for any mother and child

by Lisa Curran

About the Author

Sarah Igo

Professional word nerd, I run my own copywriting company Words by Woodslea from my home office in beautiful Arnside, Cumbria. In 2003, I graduated from the University of Manchester with a BA (Hons) American studies, sticking around to achieve my MA in International Relations in 2004. During my ten years in Manchester, I worked in publishing as a production coordinator for Govnet Communications and as a travel correspondent for content creation company Adfero. More recently I served as an English teacher (11-18) for nine years, specialising in the A-Level subjects of Language and Technology, Language and Gender, Language Acquisition and Language Change. Writing has been my constant companion throughout, poetry, children's literature and short stories with an edge.