Infant-and-Toddler-Development Books

All I can say is that this book is exellent. I have been looking and looking for a book that not only tells you how to read to your children but gives you suggestions of good books to read to them. This is that book!!! I got it from my local library but love it so much I am now going to buy it. It is a must read for any mother or new daycare teacher who, like me, had no clue about how to select a good book.

Let's face it: There are many books for babies and children out there. How do I choose the perfect book for my baby? What's the baby going to understand from it? How will the baby react? How can I introduce the book to the baby? I had a lot of questions like these before buying this book and they were all answered. Reading with babies, toddlers, and Twos is a great tool book that reads well, with charts about baby development vs. book choice, many book suggestions categorized and many references as well if you wish to know more. The authors are credible and thanks to them, I do not feel as lost in baby book world. If you want what's best for your child...here's a good start.

From beginning to end, this book is chock full of invaluable information about the why's, what's, when's and how's of reading to our children. I honestly can't think of a more important parenting book out there. It just makes so much sense. And although I already do it, it got me excited about reading to my kids again and reminded me why I read to all of my babies in utero. (For fun! Who knew it was so beneficial?) There's just no better way to connect, bond and engage with children. I grew up with this philosophy that books are our friends (my Mother really did tell us that) and it's a joy to learn exactly why reading with our children is so important. I already love giving books as gifts and you can be assured, this book will be hastily added to my baby shower/new baby/1st and 2nd birthday gift list. I can think of no better gift for a parent than the gift of true quality time with their kids. A time to discover, laugh, tickle and snuggle. A time to sing, rhyme, interact and learn. Together. What can be better than that?

As a reading specialist, I am always looking for books to recommend to new mothers. This is a book with a wealth of information for anyone interested in what book should I get for my child, grandchildren, new mother, fathers, etc. Each chapter is well written with good information. At the end of most chapters is a chart containing information about various stages children go through and what parents can expect their child to be doing in response to the title of the chapter. Much research has been done to put this all together. A must for new parents of young children.

Like Mem Fox's Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever, Reading with Babies, Toddlers, and Two's lacks the data and references of Jim Trelease's The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition (Read-Aloud Handbook) BUT is a great, friendly introduction to how and why to read aloud to your child and why you should start as young as possible. More importantly, it includes many thematic lists of books for children in the 0 to 3 age range. The lists are what make this book so useful as most booklist books are most solid in the elementary school range, with some (too few) selections for kindergardeners and preschoolers. (The exception to that is Kathleen Odean's Great Books for Babies and Toddlers: More Than 500 Recommended Books for Your Child's First Three Years.) For busy, tired parents, a faster, lighter read than Trelease is welcome though I'd recommend reading Trelease later for more details and data and for his Treasury of read alouds.

Countdown to My Birth is a very exciting way to keep up with the development of your child. There are all kinds of interesting phases that take place throughout the pregnancy and this calendar was a fun way for my wife and I to wake up each morning and "connect" with our child. We never read ahead and just looked forward to each new day when we could flip the date and see what our baby was going to "say." There is also a place to take "notes" on events that occurred each day as well as stickers with major marking points in the pregnancy (Hurray! You know I'm here, You hear my heartbeat, You see me in an ultrasound, etc.) I think what I really like about this is that it makes me (the father) feel more involved in the pregnancy and keeps me really excited to see my first child. I also think this will be a wonderful gift for my son when he is older so he can read what his mother and I were thinking/feeling during each stage of the pregnancy. I would buy it again.

Easy way to include hubby in daily baby growth in utero without getting out the heavy hitting books. Simply flip the calendar daily (after filling it out for your due date) and it tells you everything from being the size of a pea to suggesting eating finger foods 'cause I'm growing fingers today...

We cherished ours and still have it as part of our baby collection. I highly recommend it as a congrats on your pregnancy book.

I purchased one calendar for myself and one for my girlfriend who is currently pregnant. It's cute, especially for first time mothers. I haven't used mine yet, but I plan to once I get pregnant :)

This calender is so much fun. What a way to get daddy involved. We flip each page every morning and read what each day says. It gives you a great idea of what is happening inside of you each day of your pregnancy. It fun facts. My husband loves it. I plan on buying this calender for all future friends who get pregnant. It's worth it. This calender is probably most fun for first time pregnancies.

Some of you may think that this concept of a daily pregnancy calendar 'written' from the baby's point of view sounds familiar. That's because "Countdown to My Birth" is the newest version of Countdown to a Miracle: The Making of Me (2nd ed) by Julie B. Carr. While the cover is different, the interior concept is still the same - each day your baby describes what is happening from conception to birth, complete with a due date countdown, a place to put today's date, room for notes, and bonus stickers to mark special 'firsts' - first kick, first hiccup, etc. The stand-up, spiral bound format is also the same.

If you loved 'Countdown to a Miracle', you'll love this new version!

Julie Carr, author

When I first cracked this book open, I kept asking myself why the book sounded so old. I finally discovered that the book was 10 years old. I still read the whole thing because after the first few pages, it didn't feel strange anymore. I simply kept in mind that some things have changed but for the basics, I found it helpful despite the fact that it's originally a book published for German parents. I enjoyed the pictures depicting how to hold a baby, how to swaddle the baby and all. The book took nothing for granted which is good for a first time mom like me. I'm still looking for a recent book on baby care but for now, a big part of my appetite has been filled.

From changing diapers to ear aches, this book covers it all. My husband and I have really appreciated all the information this book contains. We use it for any and all the questions we have about our little girl. I recommend this for all new parents and parents-to-be.

This book is excellent. It is well written and illustrated.
Easy to follow instructions and covers all subjects that new moms might be concerned about.
I have not even delived my baby yet and this is the book I have turned to the most. Especially when I get scared and wonder if I will be able to handle it all.This book will put you at ease with its loving and down to earth tone. Most books on pregnancy and post delivery make you feel even more scared with their need for perfection.This author has found a way to anwser all questions without making you feel bad.
Very good tips for moms after delivery. ( vitamin cocktail)
Also includes fathers.

This book focuses on the care of the baby as well as all of the issues of new parents. It has excellent diets and exercises, and it guides one through the emotions of new parenthood. My husband loves to read the sections devoted to new fathers. Our Baby: The First Year is a gem and should be read by all new parents.

This is an outstanding book for new (or soon to be) fathers and mothers. It has extensive medical material but also is very contemporary in regard to parenting issues. The father's role, as explained repeatedly in the book, is important. I think this is a must book for all new parents. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

Having both professional and personal experience with adoption of children with attachment injuries, this book touches my heart. Prevention is worth a zillion hours of therapy later. The book does not address it directly, but another underlying message is that this sort of intentional parenting, with acknowledgement of the parent's importance, produces extraordinary results in not only the developing mind, but also in the developing parent.

The book in great words expresses what a parent is in the eye of a child, how the child is able to grow always knowing that their parent is there to protect and love the child.

Amy Hatkoff has done a great job of integrating a scrapbook of pictorial cuties with psychological milestones. The visceral response is one of "Ohhhh..." A little gem of a book and a very suitable stocking gift for anyone expecting a larger bundle of joy. I'm also appreciative of the fact that she has both sexes nurturing infants.

This book is soo... good I am amazed it isn't a best seller or winning every award in baby books!. I just had a baby and this book made me cry..it evokes the feeling I have for my baby/now toddler that I could never express, but felt it so strongly!!. I feel I am quite artistic as I am a writer of pop songsBlue Guitar...but this book touches your heart in some precious way I could never imagine. I love this book and send it to all my friends having babies! Amy.. thank you WOW!

You Are My World vividly captures with heart-melting photographs and disarmingly simple words the critical importance a parent's love and attention have on a baby's development. The author effectively uses the point of view of the infant, but she also interweaves, with a light hand, the best research that has been undertaken on the emotional importance of the parent-child bond. This little gem of a book would make a lovely gift for new or soon-to-be parents. It can also be enjoyed by those of us whose children have grown--You Are My World brought back with immediacy the intensity of those magical first days, weeks and months that I shared with my new born son. The author shows so much sensitivity to what goes on in a baby's mind, that I hope she follows up with a book on the world of toddlers.

This book is awesome because it gives practical information on helping your baby sleep. It is just what it says "52 sleep secrets". They are short and if the baby starts crying and interrupts you from reading, you're not in the middle of a long chapter. It is also great because it doesn't follow one "theory" on raising your kid like Attachment, Ferber, Baby Wise, etc. It just gives info on sleeping and what all people/babies need without telling you to make them cry it out or not cry it out. I loved it!

Kim West's advice about sleeping for children is spot on and more helpful than you could dream it would be. This little book is a handy reference and full of useful tidbits. A wonderful gift for a new mom, it serves as a quick study on how to help your baby and child sleep well. It's also a quick reference and refresher course for second-time (and third- and fourth-time) parents to start out and continue on the right foot. I can't recommend this book enough! And if you want details and anecdotes that support these concepts, you should purchase and read Good Night, Sleep Tight. The Sleep Lady rocks!

This book is amazing. It offers practical easy to use advice to help your baby become a champion sleeper. My son was sleeping through the night by 3 months using the information given in this book. A must have for all sleep deprived new mommies!!! A quick read which is a must for moms with a newborn OR challenged sleeper!!

Loved the first book, "goodnight sleep tight" - but over time you forget some of what you learned from that book - 52 secrets is like a quick reference guide when you hit sleeping setbacks like traveling to a different time zone, or even MORE teething. I'm buying them for stocking stuffers for my playgroup friends!

Kim West has done it again. With Baby #3 in our house, sometimes I feel like I should know this stuff already, but flipping through the "sleep secrets" is a great refresher course. I gave a copy to a friend who has an infant and she was so grateful. I love that I can pick it up and read a few tips at a time. Great format! Great tips!

I wish more parents would read this book. I long for the days when kids went out in public and did not scream in groceries, misbehave in restaurants, or throw tantrums at social events. I always said when my children were young, "I refuse to raise a brat" and this book has helped me in so many ways. It is very hard today to maintain consistency in parenting - who has the time? - but this book is great for getting back on track. I have two very happy, healthy, smart girls who don't embarass me when we're in public:)! I think Back to Basics Discipline played a part in that.

I picked up this book because of the two good reviews listed previously. My 19 month old had really begun to have some tantrums and I would find myself either over-reacting, not reacting at all or just feeling inadequate at my ability to control my own child. After reading this book, I immediately felt empowered and in control. I even felt results from my son on the first day. My lack of knowledge in how to discipline had enabled his tantrums and the minute I gained control, his sense of security returned. This book reminded me of my parents discipline program and that made me feel at ease. You may not agree with all of her logic but I think the author makes some profound points (usually accompanied by a personal story) on why her discipline tactics work. My only critisism of the book was that I longed for more scenarios but the author wanted to relay the need for a parent(s) to take the individuality of the child into account. I long for an independent, honest, respectful, and successful child, teenager and adult and with this book, I feel I am on my way.

"Back To Basics Discipline" is the best book I have ever read about successful parenting. A step by step method is furnished that any parent can understand and apply to raising their own children. The noteworthy work will open the eyes of many parents about instilling self-control, honesty, and respect in their offspring. The book is a totally complete guide for creating a positive home environment blossoming with love and respect. This is a must-read for parents desiring their children to be controlled in a loving environment and growing up to be good citizens.

There are two books that have made a profound impact on me as a first time parent of a now 17.5 month old: The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff and this. Janet Matson explains in no nonsense terms exactly how to avoid what Jean Liedloff describes as being too child-centered. Back to Basics Discipline is so well written I was able to implement her ideas almost immediately - with great results right away. I now spend my days loving my toddler and looking forward to spending time with him.

Janet Matson writes common sense advice about a subject often fraught with misinformation and flavor-of-the-month approaches. Every person who has children, might have them someday, or is just around children on a daily basis needs to own this easy-to-read, practical handbook for growing happy children into productive adults. I loved every chapter, and I totally agree with all Janet's advice. Teachers, as well as parents, will find helpful ideas on how to achieve control without crushing a child's spirit. This is a great gift for potential parents! I am a parent, grandparent, and high school teacher, and I will be implementing Janet's advice in my classroom tomorrow. What's more, I'm going to recommend it to some parents because this book will help even those with teenage children!

This is a wonderful book for new parents or even grandparents who want to understand how they can help their baby grow into a confident person who can have a full emotional range. The book also helps a parent understand his or her own feelings and how those can affect the baby. I give this book as a baby gift now.

The Greenspans have offered up a concrete, easy to understand gathering of what all new (and maybe not so new) parents should know about infancy and toddlerhood. The best thing next to self esteem a parent can offer a child is to teach that child an emotional language. "This feeling goes with this label...". A child begins to associate, "Oh, so THAT'S what this funny feeling is about" and before long you have an individual who is aware of feeling states and then moves on to appropriatley expressing them. Give this gift to YOUR child!

This book is a must read for any parent that is worried about the emotional health of our society today. We live in a society of repressed emotions that come out in violent outbursts. This books tells parents how emotions develop in a baby and toddler and what we as parents can do to help our baby develop all of their emotions. It also teaches us how we can help our baby handle and express all emotions so that they don't become bottled up and come out in violent outbursts. Most of the advice in this book goes against conventional parenting advice, but in my view we've been following conventional advice for 50 years and look where it has gotten us. It is time for a new, more sensitive way of parenting that teaches our children that emotions are ok and can be expressed in appropriate ways. I give this book my highest recommendation.

As a single parent of a 2 1/2 year old boy, I have found this book to be the best teacher, guide, and sanity-saver since the day he was born. This book has given me concrete options for understanding and dealing with every perplexing behavior of my son's. He has a flourishing emotional life because of this book, and I have managed to keep sane.

The book is easy to read, gives several solutions to each problem presented, has tables and lists to help explain concepts, and offers a contiguous view of the child and his family's development. If a parent could only read one parenting book, *this* is the one they should read, take to heart, dog-ear and memorize techniques from, through the start of pregnancy through all their children's first years. The family foundations and relationships it helps to establish make the most solid beginnings for family life. Thank you, Greenspans, for this seminal contribution!

Your child's EQ (emotional quotient) is more important to their future success, health and happiness than their IQ (intelligence quotient) and this book can help the both of you off to a great start. As an Emotional Intelligence Coach, I strongly recommend this book. Your child's EQ can't develop farther than yours. Take an assessment and see how yours is, get some EQ coaching from a trained and certified EQ coach, read this book and get to work. Your child's future depends upon it.

I always receive rave thank you's whenever I gift "Giggle Guide to Baby Gear" to expecting friends. It compiles the overwhelming universe of parenting information in a concise, logical and user-friendly format (my friends love the checklists!) that allows new parents to breathe easy and enjoy the most important experience of their lives. Go Giggle!

This book is a must have for new parents. The ceo of Giggle does a great job editing the wide selection out there, making it easier for new parents such as me to buy the best there is out there for my child.

As a recent godmother of two this book (and the fantastic giggle stores) were invaluable for finding fun and appropriate gifts as well as the necessities for two newborns. The book is easy to navigate, provides detailed and comprehensive information on what is important to have and when.
Given how many baby products there are to sift through, often frustrating and time consuming, Ali Wing's "giggle Guide to Gear" provides much needed, well-researched and intelligent guidance.
It should be part of every new parents', and friends of new parents', library.

This guide from GIGGLE helped me sift through the confusing realm of "baby necessities" to find truly essential items for my new family. I would highly recommend it for first time parents like myself or to give as a gift.

This book is a must have! It helps me to think about how to shop for products that fit our life, rather than what products might be the current "hot product de jour".

All new parents (and perhaps second timers too) should have this book with them when shopping for baby!

The book is easy to read. The information is presented in an user friendly way at the end of every chapter are valuable resources. I would strongly recommend the text to anyone working with or caring for infants and toddlers.

The book and companion book were in great shape. Book was brand new and cheaper than it was in stores for being used (at the date of purchase). Shipment was quick and no problems.

Rarely...very rarely does a book approach this kind of perfection...every once in a while.

I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Gonzalez-Mena, so I realize the depth of her wisdom on babies and toddlers. This book incapsulates all of her ideas with vivid color and comprehensive, but brief, chapters. She even includes tons of citations and research to solidify her points.

It's the natural companion for the WestED Program for Infant Toddler Caregivers (PITC). The champion guidebook bar-none for infant/toddler caregivers.

I think anyone can learn a great deal from this book. I had to buy it for my college class child development and I learned alot from it.

Janet Gonzalez-Mena and Dianne Widmeyer Eyer have developed a precise method of working with groups of infants and toddlers based on the relationship principle. Their philosophy is one of respect for the child. I have recommended this book to many new educarers and they all have thanked me, saying it was the best guide they had come across. It is a "must read" for all who work with infants and toddlers in group care as well as for the parents of those children.

I'm thrilled with this easy-to-follow book. Lots of photos of a "real Mom" signing useful things. It's broken into activities: around the house, out and about, toys, games, daily routines, crafts and the alphabet. There are descriptions on how to execute the signs. I'm looking for more books by the author. This one got me started with my 7-month-old...and I want to learn more! Maybe in a couple months the little guy will sign what he's thinking about (I can hardly wait!).

It is a very nice book, lot of words and ideas where to use those words

I just finished reading this wonderful little book. I am a big fan of Monta's first book and used signing with both my daughters. In reading "Sign, Sing and Play" it was great to know that my second daughter did a lot of the same things Monta's second child did when it came to signing... understanding signs, but not signing back to me. Now that I've tried several of the games and songs with my baby, she's signing like crazy! Thank you, Monta!

I love this set. But, don't buy it if you have already bought Baby Sign Language Flash Cards: A 50-Card Deck plus Dear Friends card because they contain the same cards. Buy one or the other, they are great. I'm giving the other set to my MiL to use with my 5mo neice. Soon my daughter will be able to communicate with her cousin. I look forward to the day.

This book helped me to go beyond the basics of signing and start having some fun! My 11 month old daughter's signing has accelerated dramatically from many of Monta Briant's suggested activites. Excellent book!