A father in Penarth is self-publishing a children's book to raise funds for local primary schools.

Ben Cook began writing 'The Pink Princess' nine years ago after his first daughter Grace was stillborn, as a way of coping with the tragic loss.

Almost a decade on, he was inspired to finally share his work after reaching a low point.

"Recently I just hit rock bottom," Ben told Nub News.

"I'm beyond grateful for the life I have and my two beautiful children Charlie and Molly.

"But I had just signed off work due to mental health reasons, and I decided to write a list of all the things I could control.

"Every week in the last nine years since I wrote the book, it has bugged me. So, I decided, 'right let's do it!'"

The Pink Princess follows (you guessed it) as princess who likes pink as she finds her happy every after.

Ben described how Grace has been his biggest inspiration throughout the whole project.

"This book is in Grace's honour. When I'm down, I remind myself to make her proud," he said.

"When you're about to become a parent for the first time, you can only dream that it's going to be that happily ever after with the baby at the end.

"So, when the unimaginable happens, you're looking for answers, feeling practically every emotion under the sun.

"What I felt at the time was that I'm not going to be able to build a lifetime of memories with this little girl.

"When she was born, I was so proud. I held her in my arms and danced around the room because ultimately she was the first to make me a father."

To cope with his emotions during this time Ben wrote two poems; one to Grace and one as if it was from her, which he read at her funeral service.

"I wanted to capture every little thing that I could remember about the pregnancy, from the kicks to how she made me feel, to how she reacted to music being played to her," he said.

"Since then, there have been things that have chipped away my confidence. Things get in the way of your personal projects, but I still had this dream."

Since starting his project, Ben has contacted printers, set up a publishing label and found an illustrator who could bring to life his ideas.

He found Mexican artist, Karen Angelina Cuevas, and was blown away by her work. The two have collaborated to bring the story to life.

"Self-publishing has meant a lot of learning," said Ben.

"I know what I'm good at, but it's been a case of not being afraid to ask for help."

Once The Pink Princess is published, it will be available through a website Ben is creating.

"I'll be engaging with all the school's PTAs. This is about maximising the profit to the schools. I'm quite happy to go around a deliver all the copies myself if I have to," he said.

Ben has set up a GoFundMe page with a target of £3,200. So far, he has raised over half the funds he needs through generous donations from the community, including one of £250.

"That one made me a little teary-eyed," said Ben.

"That to me says I absolutely believe in what you're doing, which is incredible."

To find out more and donate to Ben's fundraiser, click here.