Infants Books

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.

This charmning book will encourage little ones as they learn to take those first important steps. They will recognize themselves and the "work" they are doing. Parents and children will enjoy "lap time" together -- sharing a hug and a story.

As a first-time grandparent I was thrilled to discover FIRST STEPS, a delightful "giggle wiggle waggle" of a story. Together my grandson and I chuckle over the lively and engaging text -- perfectly blended with child-friendly art. FIRST STEPS is the perfect gift for a baby shower or a new grandparent.

First Steps has just been named a Best Book for 2001, for babies and toddlers, by the Bank Street College/Children's Book Council. -Lee Wardlaw, author

FIRST STEPS has been the perfect little book for celebrating that momentous day when our baby began to walk. The sound of the words and bounce of the rhythm come together perfectly with bright bubbly pictures of bears, balls and baby. My daughter loves to climb into my lap, share "her" story, and be proud all over again of the amazing things she can do.

FIRST STEPS explores the whimsical time in a baby's life that occurs between crawling and walking. Wardlaw is uniquely sensitive to the (literal) ups and downs of this momentous shift, and her charming rhymes make for fun reading: "Creep, Crawl, Pull up tall. Giggle, wiggle, waggle... Fall!" I recommend this delightful book for parents of little ones learning to walk. It's a lively but cozy way to celebrate the victories and the process itself. "Graduates" will continue to enjoy the book for its humor and rhyme and for the fun of remembering how it used to be--before they got so big!

I'm a longtime fan of Ms. Jacobs and hope that
"Flashpoint" is the start of a new series.
This novel is just the right blend of mystery,
suspense, and social commentary.

Be sure to read Ms. Jacobs' other recent novels,
"Star Struck" and "Double or Nothing".

Nancy Baker Jacobs's savvy arson investigator, Susan Kim Delaney, is a welcome new voice in mystery and suspense. Intelligent and tough, with a dry wit and wise heart, she more than proves her mettle in the face of danger. Well-drawn characters and a solid plot help to make FLASH POINT an unforgettable reading experience. This one will have you reading through the night!

in this fast-paced page turner. Ms. Jacobs manages to make every word count in Flash Point, her latest mystery entry. Thanks to the author's keen eye for detail, the reader sees the characters come to life on the page. And what charming characters they are---it's a pleasure spending time with Susan Kim Delancey as she tracks down the serial arsonist. Well researched, the author sets the scene so realistically I have a new-found respect for the men and women who fight fires daily.

Not only does Susan Kim Delancy, California's first arson czar, have to race to find a killer who targets new mothers; she also has to prove the value of her new office to politicians, the press, and fire professionals. I could not put this book down, and I look forward to Nancy Baker Jacobs's next book featuring this complex, caring, courageous Asian-American single mother.

Susan Kim Delancey is the Governor's Special Assistant for Arson Investigations, a political appointment that has her serve as liaison with all the counties in California. Right now she is investigating a series of arson homicides that have taken place in Sausalito, San Francisco, Daily City and San Vincente. She is trying to find out if the same person is responsible for the four incidents.

In each case the victim was a single mother who recently gave birth to a baby girl. No trace of the babies is found leading the press to dub the crimes the "Baby Snatcher Murders". Susan and her understaffed overworked team find a common thread even as the killer targets someone Susan loves more than life itself.

Nancy Baker Jacobs has a winning new series if FLASH POINT is any indication. The heroine is impossible not to like as she races from one horrific crime scene to another to find some answers that will stop a killer before he strikes again. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader turning the pages until they find out who the perp is and why he is doing such terrible things.

Harriet Klausner

Wish I would have had this guide when I was starting my family. It would have been much easier to folow than the trial and error method I experienced.
I bought a copy of The Get Organized Guide for New Moms for a young friend and will give this guide to new moms as the ocassions arise. It's the best gift I can think of for new moms. I implement the six strategies for staying organized on page 184 today and my life is simplified. Judy West

Judy West

I loved this chapter! Thanks to Stacey I can leave home with far less gear and know that I have all of the essentials.

I highly recommend The Get Organized Guide for New Moms. It is packed with great ideas and clear explanations. It's well-written and an-easy read. A very helpful guide in preparing for a baby and in how to remain organized and enjoy the first year of being a mom. It's the first book I've read with a clear explanation of an organizational system. A great book!

This book is a must-have for new moms! I wish it were around when my girls were born...it would have saved my sanity. All new moms or friends of soon-to-be moms should pick up a copy of this book. M.L. - Westchester, NY

I really like the content of the book. Great reference for first time moms. I would reccomend The Get Organzied Guide for New Moms to all my expecting friends and family.
Great shower gift!

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!

"Goodnight Moon" is a long-standing family tradition for us and while searching for a new copy for my soon-to-be-born grandchild, I stumbled upon this journal. What a fabulous companion to the book and also a wonderful diary for the new baby. My daughter was in tears when she got it and called me immediately to say how wonderful it was. She had been looking at a "Goodnight Moon theme for the baby's room and had no idea this existed. She started filling things in immediately! I highly recommend this for all new mom's.

I gave this journal a 4 stars because of the two minor problems: (1) The photo corners are worthless. They are not strong enough to hold anything. We end up using glue instead. (2) The size of the book is too small. One of the pages is for us to attach a birth certificate, but the birth certificate is a couple of inches bigger than the page. Otherwise, the book is fun to fill out, and look at occassionally.

I bought this baby journal as a gift for my friend's baby shower. It was a hit! EVERYONE loved it. The journal is beautiful and high quality. I wish it was around when my kids were born! It also makes a great gift when paired with the Goodnight Moon Book--every baby's favorite.

This baby journal is ideal for a busy new mom like me who wants to keep a record of my baby's "firsts" and physical development with minimal effort. It has a nice combination of fill in the info pages, plus blank pages for photos or your own special thoughts and memories if you're so inclined. Every page is beautifully illustrated in the Goodnight Moon theme, but it's not too busy or cutsie. I also like the compact size of the journal -- it's only about 8"x7", not an oversized binder like some other journals. I can keep it handy on my desk or bookshelf. My only criticism would be the photo corners included. They aren't strong enough to hold my birth announcement and photos in place, so I purchased my own corners. This is a sweet journal that I would highly recommend for new moms or as a shower gift. The pretty pastel color scheme (green, yellow, blue & pink) works for a boy or girl.

When I had my first child,I was given several baby journals as shower gifts. I wasn't completely satisfied with any of them; some devoted too many pages to family background; some were too 'touchy/feely' for my taste; much of the artwork was too cutesy for me; and many baby journals have artwork which involves images (photos/art) of babies. I wanted a journal into which I could insert photos of MY baby, not be bombarded by images of other people's babies. I ended up cutting and pasting parts from all of the journals into a photo album in order to put together my first child's album. I discovered the "Goodnight Moon Baby Journal" when looking for a journal for my second child. It has artwork from the book, which is clearly child-oriented, but not sickeningly sweet, the colors are muted pastels of green, blue, yellow and pink, and there is not one picture of someone else's baby. I have used almost every page from this journal and think it is the best baby journal available. Besides, every child reads and loves "Goodnight Moon", so your child can become nostalgic looking at the illustrations in the journal as well as the mementos you insert. Finally, it even comes with adhesive tabs for inserting photos, which is a nice touch.

Winner of the National IPPY Gold medal for parenting books (an award created and hosted by "Independent Publisher" magazine), Got the Baby Where's the Manual?!? Respectful Parenting from Birth Through the Terrific Twos is a solid guide to braving the transition from couple to family, and looking after one's child for the first two years of life. Chapters discuss how to be kind yet set limits, raising a child with healthy self-esteem, common misperceptions and parenting myths to watch out for, and much more. Therapist, educator, and writer Dr. Joanne Baum pays specific attention to matters that may catch unwary new parents by surprise, such as the necessity of learning to sleep when a new baby sleeps or allowing the house to become a little messier than it used to be. Also discussed are the decision of whether to nurse and how to go about it, how to tell whether behavioral oddities in one's child are a worrisome enough to warrant visiting an expert, how to tackle the challenge of co-parenting, steps to take keep an unhappy situation from degenerating into divorce, steps to take if divorce is unavoidable, and much more. Got the Baby Where's the Manual?!? is written for new parents of every walk of life, including married and unmarried couples, straight and gay couples, or single parents of either gender, and is an absolute "must-read" for mothers-to-be and fathers-to-be everywhere.

Dr. Joanne Baum has written a fabulous book for any new parent. Beginning with the pre-birth, she caringly walks new parents (and grandparents) through the key aspects of baby and toddlerhood that many of us take for granted, yet she offers a number of twists that leave you with an "aha"--this a a perfect gift for all those baby showers and gifts...what they don't need is another t-shirt. This will be a major asset in their upbringing...for both baby and parent.


Judith Briles, author
The Confidence Factor
Money Smarts
Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace

I loved this book! I was desperately searching for help with my 2 1/2 year old....testing limits, pushing boundaries and power stuggles. I felt as if I were being "broken open."
If you want to parent from your heart with grace and compassion you must read this book. Dr. Baum is incredibly insightful, wise, and down to earth. Her suggestions have not only helped me turn the "terrible twos" into the "terrific twos" but have inspired me to approach parenting in a whole new light. Thank you Dr. Baum for this amazing gift.

With a three year old under my wings, it is truly a time of my life that needs the guidance Joanne has provided in this book. She holds nothing back and gives some of the most powerful direction in raising a child and more. She gives true, from the heart advice on how to be a good human being with the child as the priority. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has a child, knows someone who has a child or will be having a child. Joanne Baum is brilliant!

This is a great book for first time parents or if you just need a little refresher. I was particularly interested in reading about the 'Terrific Twos' since our daughter has just turned two. The author does a great job giving practical and useful advice for some of those more challenging parenting moments. Now we have our second baby on the way in just a few weeks. It will be good to go to the beginning of the book and get a little refresher course. Great read! Thanks!

Odean, Kathleen. 2003. Great Books for Babies and Toddlers. New York: Ballantine Books.

Odean brings together a love of reading and what to read to babies and young children. The author begins by talking about the importance of reading to babies and young children. She goes on to remind the reader how to look for books according to the child's age. Odean gives annotations of over 500 titles and divides the books into two sections: "Nursery Rhymes, Fingerplays, and Songs; and Picture-Story Books for the Very Young." Each entry has the bibliographic information, such as the author, title, illustrator, and publishing information. Entries also include age range and brief description. The author gives libraries a nice plug, telling readers to take advantage of the local library for not only books, but also services such as storytime. A "Further Reading for Librarians" is brief. Among the information in the "Reference and Tips for Parents" section, Odean lists music, websites, and titles in Spanish. Three separate indexes are available, Author and Illustrator, Title, and Subject. Kathleen Odean has produced for babies and toddlers what Jim Trelease produced for pre-schoolers and elementary students, a wonderful jewel of a tool to help parents select books for their children. What a nice resource to offer parents and care givers the opportunity to select books just right for their children. Overall, this book is packed with tips and resources that even new librarians would enjoy and learn something new. This title would be an ideal purchase for public libraries to add to their parenting section.

I first saw/got this book at my local library, but after renewing it three times I decided it was time to buy it! Now this book along with a few others is my standard "new baby gift." While everyone else is giving cute clothes that will last a few weeks or months, I'm giving a gift that will last for years!

In looking for things to read to our daughter once she was born, my husband and I searched our memories for childhood favorites, talked to friends and librarians and poked through Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook but found it to be a little light on suggestions appropriate for an infant. Kathleen Odean has done a wonderful job of describing several hundred books appropriate to read to 0-3 year olds and suggesting age ranges for each book.

I do wish that in addition to her "Favorite Picks" which give quick lists such as "Favorite Bedtime Books" that she had also included a list of books that rhyme and an index of titles by age since paging through to find things for a particular age is time consuming. All in all we are very pleased with this book and look forward to being introduced to many new books and authors as our child grows older.

I used this book to build a 100+ library of books for my 17-month old daughter. There are so many children's books available that a guide like this is indispensible for distinguishing between them. This guide pointed me towards some fantastic books and authors that I would not have encountered by simply browsing my local library or bookstore. Some examples of fantastic authors that my daughter and I love whose books were recommended by this guide include Frank Asch, Pat Hutchins, Eve Rice, and Patricia Hubbell.

If you have ever wondered whether all books for babies and toddlers are created equal, then wonder no more. Kathleen Odean has done all of the footwork for parents of young children and for youth services librarians responsible for collection development in this area, with this well-researched and annotated guide to the best of the best. Also included are tips on reading aloud, activities with books, books in Spanish and so much more, all to ensure that the maximum benefits are derived from the recommended literature. This is certainly an acquisition that leaves no room for regret.

This book spoke volumes to me as I raise my older teenagers. With practical suggestions based on sound biblical teaching, this is a Godsend for any parent. The chapters on parental self control and dealing with teenage anger were especially constructive. The hope which permeates this book is that parents can make an enormous, life-changing difference in their child's life regardless of the outside influences. Highly recommend this book and only wish I had read it years ago.

This book has had a profound effect upon our home life. My son was diagnosed with depression several years ago and nothing seemed to be helping at home. Since reading this book and applying Dr.Campbell's suggestions for physical contact, eye contact, communicating anger constructively, and consequences, there has been an unbelievable change in the relationship with our son. I wish that I had found this book sooner.

This is a fantastic book for anyone looking for clear, practical advice on having a good relationship with their teenager. The author is a psychiatrist who writes on a simple level that anybody can understand. He helps you understand what your teen is going through and how to relate in a positive way. Very practical and down to earth. A definite five-star read, even if you don't have teenagers!

A life-rope to parents experiencing difficulties with their teenager. A practical, easy-to-read, "book of hope".

I wish I had read this when my child was 12 instead of 16 but I find it helping me to be a better parent and only hope that I will eventually reach my daughter using his sensible approach. There are a few jewels in this book that I had missed in guiding my children.

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.