What to Expect the Toddler Years
(Libby/OverDrive eBook)

Since the extended family no longer lives nearby, new parents often turn to books for advice on child care. These two new sources, although different in format and scope, provide useful information to parents with young children. The first volume of The Disney Encyclopedia of Baby and Child Care covers development from birth through age six, describing milestones and explaining care techniques. Boxes highlight important information. There are also sections on basic first aid and the common symptoms of childhood diseases. Volume 2 is an alphabetically arranged encyclopedia of child health and illness issues, with short entries on conditions and behaviors (e.g., aggression, toeing in, worms). A referral list of relevant organizations is included. The authors are pediatricians who provide current, high-quality information, but the material provided is at a ready-reference level. Readers seeking depth will need other sources, and this set lacks a bibliography. The authors of the successful "What To Expect" series offer a volume on the second and third years of life. This book contains 900 pages of useful information divided into four sections. Like the Disney set, the first part concerns development, milestones, pediatric checkups, and parental concerns, but the authors add valuable material on what parents should know and what they should teach toddlers. Part 2 on health and safety covers general care, nutrition, home safety, first aid, toilet training, and caring for children with special needs. Part 3 offers important information on the toddler in the family, including issues such as sibling rivalry, parenting techniques, working parents, child care, adoption, divorce, and death‘topics not discussed in the Disney work. Part 4 is a ready-reference source offering activity suggestions, recipes, home remedies, the symptoms and treatment of common illnesses, and forms for charting growth, health history, and memorable moments. This is an outstanding source written by and for parents. Easy to use, affordable, and reassuring, it encourages parents to enjoy their children. More illustrations and first aid information and a bibliography would have been useful, but What To Expect: The Toddler Years belongs in all parenting collections. The Disney Encyclopedia of Baby and Child Care is a good complementary source that provides additional medical information. Although less detailed than The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Complete Guide to Early Child Care (Crown, 1990), it is a useful ready-reference source.‘Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L., Cal. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The bestselling mother-and-daughters team that told baby boomers in great detail what to expect when they were expecting (1984) and what to expect in the first year (not reviewed), now inundate parents again with this guide to years two and three. They cover medical check-ups, social development, and specific fears and concerns that all first-time parents have. Many are genuinely important (such as ``Strange Stools'' and ``Hitting Back''), but others are simply the day-to-day stuff of raising a child (do parents need advice on ``Fridge Opening''?). Information is sensible and down-to-earth, and comprehensive in chapters on toilet training and nutrition. But except for the final ``Ready Reference'' section on common illnesses and remedies, this massive compendium is almost impossible to use as a reference guide. Entries are not alphabetized, and anyway, who would think to look up ``Banging on Everything''? And what if your kid bangs in the 14th month instead of the 13h, where it's listed here? (First printing of 200,000; author tour)