Told in first person rhyme and drawn from the author’s own family experience, the newly published picture book follows baby Jaxon through seven days of hospital care and the people who provide it.

CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Palmetto Publishing has released Jaxon’s Stay in the NICU, a new children’s picture book by Monique Lisbon. Written in gentle first person rhyme, the book is narrated by a premature infant and set inside a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It is now available to readers. The story was inspired by the author’s own family.

The narrator introduces himself on the first page. “Hello there, I’m Jaxon! A preemie, that’s me.” Jaxon arrived earlier than anyone expected, and his lungs need more time to grow strong. His room is bright and cozy, full of beeps, love, and light. He counts out his week for the reader. Monday brings the doctor, who checks how he is growing from his nose to his shin. Tuesday is stretching so high it feels like reaching the sky. Wednesday is music, hummed tunes down the hall and a recorder full of familiar voices.

What Jaxon wants is simple and enormous. He wants to go home. Home is a nursery of his own, a pile of toys, and two playful dogs named Luther and Bella who have not met him yet. By Thursday the nurse lays out the mat and they kick along to “Twinkle, Twinkle.” By Friday he is practicing his bottle, one small sip at a time, getting a little closer to the door. Grandparents bring stories on Saturdays. Sundays are quiet breathing. Mom and Dad come every night.

Monique Lisbon stated, “I spent the first chapter of my son Jaxon’s life in a NICU, learning the rhythm of its days and the names of the people who cared for him. I wrote this for the children who love a preemie and want to understand why the baby is still at the hospital. Some heroes wear capes. Others wear scrubs.”

The book is intended for readers ages three to eight, particularly older siblings of infants in neonatal care. Most NICUs limit how long young children may visit, and the book is structured to let a brother or sister stay connected between those short visits. It sits alongside other juvenile titles addressing health and daily living, and names doctors, nurses, therapists, and grandparents as heroes. Dinosaurs appear throughout as characters, a detail carried over from the real Jaxon’s baby shower, nursery, and hospital room.

Jaxon’s Stay in the NICU is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

About the Author: Monique Lisbon spent the first chapter of her son Jaxon’s life in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, learning the rhythm of its days and the names of the people who cared for him. Jaxon’s Stay in the NICU grew out of that experience, written for the children who love a preemie and want to understand why the baby is still at the hospital. A wife, entrepreneur, and storyteller, she writes stories drawn from real beginnings. More about her work is at https://mlstoryhouse.com.

About the Book:

Title: Jaxon’s Stay in the NICU
Author: Monique Lisbon

Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
Publication date: Coming Soon
ISBN-13: 9798318833380

Available for interviews: Author, Monique Lisbon

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SOURCE Palmetto Publishing