Babies Books

This book has so much info in it, it borders on overwhelming. But I learned so much about my own situation after only 1 month of using the methods described. I am now armed with evidence and questions for my OB/GYN, and am confident that a pregnancy may happen within the next 6 months, now that my doctor and I can be pointed in the right direction. I recommend this book to any woman questioning whether her cycles are "normal" and has had problems getting pregnant.

A friend recommended this book to me. I owe her one. This book simply tells you everything you need to know about your fertility cycle. Whether your interest is in becoming pregnant, or avoiding it, this book will answer all of your questions. It is very clearly and concisely written, while using all of the necessary medical terminology. It is very easy to understand because it uses real-life examples throughout. I think that the information in this book is necessary if you are trying to become pregnant and I will recommend to all of my friends.

If you are into natural/holistic things, or just want to know more about the female body, this book is definitely a Must Have! I purchased the book at the recommendation from a few friends that are into holistic things and I am very very happy that I bought it. If I ever have a girl, I want my daughter to know everything in the book because it teaches you things that should be second nature about your body (I might even teach my son a few things that are good for him to know about the female body). Some people rely on doctor's to tell them what is wrong, but doctors should be used as an expansion of your knowledge and they should not know your body better than you do. So whether you are trying to get pregnant, trying to avoid pregnancy, or just want to know what goes on in your body from cycle-to-cycle, this book is definitely something to look into.

We had an autistic son at the time someone recommended this book to us. Autism is 4 times more prevalent in boys than girls and we wanted one more child. We loved our son to pieces, but wanted to try for a girl. If we got a boy, than we got a boy. If we got an autistic, than we got an autistic. It really didn't matter - but we thought we'd try (the natural way ) to reduce our chances for another austistic child. I read the entire book (cover to cover); charted my ovulation based on temps and cervical fluid.. and when we were ready to try, I got pregnant the first month and with a girl! This book is a book you'll read over and over again as you go through different stages in your life. It's wonderful! I had a friend who was having trouble conceiving. I lent her my book and voila! 2 other friends used the book to achieve pregnancy with the sex of their choosing. READ IT!

The reason I have a beautiful baby girl is because of this book! I got pregnant the first time I ovulated in 4 months because I knew what to look for!

This is a must read for every woman, not just ones trying to get pregnant. Knowledge is power, take power over your body!! Most of us have no clue about the intricacies of how our bodies work. Health class taught us the bare basics. This book explains the beautiful symphony of our bodies, and how everything works together. It was truly amazing how little I knew. This should be a text book for health class!

After a cyst on my left ovary, I started having very long cycles - 45 days. This book explained what was happening to my body. I was able to chart my temperatures, see I wasn't ovulating, and advocate for my self with a fertility specialist. I only ovulated 4 months out of 10! I didn't have to argue how I knew, I had proof. He accepted it immediately and was willing to start running tests even though we had been trying to get pregnant for less than a year.

Most doctors require that you try for a year, no matter what. That is because most women can't prove that they know that something is wrong. I was able to show that I was experiencing a real problem.

Amazingly, a week later, I ovulated for the first time in 4 months, and we got pregnant! We didn't even need the tests or medical help. Because of this book I was able to recognize that I was ovulating, and take advantage of it at the right time.

Thank you, Toni, for the new respect I have for my self and my body, the knowledge and ability to advocate for myself, and for my beautiful baby. This book changed my life!

Never get tired of this one... love that sweet brown bear and all his friends

There are days when I am just thoroughly annoyed by this book.

And yet it remains a classic, and I grudgingly agree.

How can anyone not love the awesome repetitive rhymes and varying colors and animals? And how can you not get chills at how these animals are all staring at each other?

The original of interactive books and still probably the best.

Great book. My son's favorite. At 9 months of age he knew it by name.

I started reading this book to my son when he was 12 months old and since then he has always loved reading it. The words are flowy and interesting enough to capture his attention. A definate must have in a toddlers bookshelf!

This was one of my son's favorite books!
It brings back a lot of memories!

I loved, loved, loved this book. I read it to prepare for the natural birth of my second child (vaginal breech), and then again to prepare for the natural birth of my third. I chose to have all three in the hospital, and wanted to avoid the slippery slope to a c-section. At Virginia Hospital Center (Arlington) and Inova Fairfax Hospital, where my children were born, the c-section rates are 40%. How is this acceptable?? C-sections are major surgery.

Inductions start the slippery slope. Few women can or choose to cope with pitocin-induced contractions, so an induction almost always means an epidural, which means no early laboring in the comfort of your home, no moving around, and the inability to get into positions that help the baby descend. Pitocin can also affect the unborn baby's heart rate, which causes great concern to all, OB included. So the baby either does not arrive quickly enough or goes into crisis, and the result is a c-section.

Epidurals and c-sections both negatively affect the chance of baby breastfeeding well early on, which means baby is given formula in the hospital and early days post-birth - another slippery slope, this time to early weaning. With strong evidence that breastfed babies have higher IQs, fewer allergies, get sick less often and less severely, have decreased rates of SIDS, etc., this is no small matter. "The AAP Section on Breastfeeding, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Family Physicians, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, and many other health organizations recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life." http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;115/2/496 Also see http://kellymom.com/index.html for lots of great breastfeeding advice and info.

This book will give you the information you need to trust your body to give birth naturally. The birth stories at the beginning will help you to see that there are a wide range of "normal" births, both in terms of duration of labor and pain. Many coping strategies are discussed, along with the overarching theme that birth is a natural process. The pain of natural birth is not like the pain of an injury or something gone wrong. It has a purpose, and this book will help you learn to surrender to the purpose, rather than fight against it.

PS You probably can't hire Ina May, but you should hire a doula or at least find a friend who has given birth naturally to help coach you and support you through your labor.

Absolutely a must have. Very informative and down to earth!
I wish I would have bought the book early on in my pregnancy! Will forward this book on to a fellow co-worker at work!

I'm a first time mom and my midwife recommended this book. Unlike other pregnancy books this one is not geared towards all of the things that can go wrong. Rather its about all the things that can go right with a pregnancy. This book gives women the confidence they need to approach birth with a calm attitude. Gaskin teaches women that their bodies "are not lemons." That we don't need shiny instruments or machines that go "bing" to help us birth our babies. What we need instead is love, patience, and the confidence to bring our children into this world. This book would be great for anyone contemplating a homebirth, an intervention free birth, or for anyone who has fears about the birth process. I give it five stars.

My first birthing experience was everything I didn't want: induced, heavily medicated, and then a c-section. I was determined to have a completely natural v-bac the second time around. Our doula recommended this book, and it really gave my husband and I the information we needed that we never got from our first ob. I recommend this book to any woman contemplating a natural childbirth, especially those whose doctors are not supportive of such a move.

I rarely review anything, but this book inspired me. Although I had heard about it many times, I initially resisted reading it because I was worried it would be preachy and/or only applicable to people planning a birth with midwives. While I will still have a hospital birth with an OB, I learned numerous highly useful things from this book. Ina May is a very experienced and intuitive midwife, and the book is based on her experiences as well as a lot of research.

First, the book emphasizes that we women are highly capable of having a natural birth, and the whole first half is stories from women who have done so (I read these selectively). The second half of the book goes into well-researched and -documented detail about how our bodies work during a natural birth, which greatly appeased my logical mind. It also covers the various inappropriate and scary procedures that may be recommended to you in the hospital. This last part was not always an enjoyable read, but helped me make a list to ask my doctor of things I didn't even know I needed to ask. In my opinion it is crucial that we and our partners have this information so we can advocate for proper care in the hospital. Just because a procedure is commonplace, doesn't mean it is beneficial or even safe for the woman. When I finished the book, I was dwelling a little on "I really hope I don't need a [fill in procedure]" so now I'm flipping through the stories again to leave a better taste in my mouth.

This book is definitely geared toward people who are considering a natural childbirth or already know they want one. If right now you think you want an epidural the second you walk in the hospital, I don't know if you will want to read this book. But if you do read it, I suspect it will cause you to rethink some things. I also recommend reading "The Birth That's Right For You" (Ness, et al), which helps you decide what you may or may not want during your birthing, depending on your personality and how you operate when you're not in labor.

16 Sept. 2008
I have both the paperback and the hardcopy edition of this book. I recommend the hardback because of how much it is used. I have read this book to my nephews dozens of times. When the two of them leave I always tell them, "Remember, You are Special!" They came in from out-of-state last week and the first thing one of them said to me was, "You are special." The book is a good reminder for adults as well as youngsters!

I love this story and was planning on getting it for my daughter at some point- when I saw it as a board book I decided to get it right away! The book seems well made and has nice bold, vibrant illustrations. The only negative thing I noticed about it- and I noticed it right away when I received it- is the fact that it has pointy edges. Most board books are rounded at the corners. It's not a huge deal, but for young kids/babies who are clumsy and put everything in their mouths, it seems like a poor design.

Max Lucado has an touched a nerve with his delightful stories. This book reaches the heart of all of us.
We all want to know our worth. This beautifully written and illustrated story reminds us that we are all of infinite worth, in the eyes of our creator.

LOVE this book - perfect gift for an adult or a child - beautiful pictures and wonderful, meaningful story.

I work with children with Autism and have given this book to each of them once they do not need my services anymore. This book is a rare find! Excellent story and great pictures!

Sandra Boynton has left her mark on the children's book industry and this is a great example of why she's been so successful. The story and illustrations just appeal to kids and there's no secret that this is her formula. Make going to bed fun and maybe, just maybe, it won't be such a chore!

Another bedtime story I'd recommend is Ladybug Baby Bug, by Janice and Mark Perkins, because of its similar qualities.

I love Sandra Boynton. I love the illustrated characters, the simple rhymes and so, evidently, do children. The Going to Bed Bed Book looked perfect for my toddler at bed time, so I couldn't resist picking it up recently at a local bookstore. The board-book format means less destruction, so if you can just keep 'em from chewing it, the book should last a long time.

The short rhyming story follows the adorable cartoon characters as they go through their bedtime routine. They take their baths, put on their pajamas and brush their teeth. Now this is the part where I had a teensy problem...after brushing their teeth, the characters all go and exercise before going to bed. Now I don't know about you, but a two-year-old exercising before bedtime around here is a recipe for...well...a two-year-old not going to sleep. So I freely admit that I kind of skip that page.

But the very last lines make up for it:

"The moon is high. The sea is deep. They rock and rock and rock to sleep."

It is at this point that I usually drift off and my son has to jar me awake so I can kiss him goodnight.

I do recommend the book if you don't have a problem with the exercise bit or if you have a child who does NOT feel the need to mimic everything they see or read. It really is a lovely toddler's book for either gender.

My son absolutely adores this book. He looks forward to reading every night before bed!

This book is ideal for infants and toddlers. It is well illustrated and the wording holds their attention with its lyrical flow.

It's a wonderful book for toddlers who love animals. Strangely, my daughter (22 months at the time of this review) doesn't really like animals, and so after a short spike she lost interest in this book and doesn't want to read it anymore. It is sad, because it was one of the first books that she virtually memorized and could supply the next word of the story. I want to believe that it's temporary, because it's a delightful story with great rhymes and funny illustrations. We are going to pare down her library a bit soon, but I am not selling or donating any of Sandra Boynton's books.

A wonderful story. Classic kids' book. They love the art work! A terrific little book for kids. A goodbook before 10 minutes tlll Bed Time. It's sturdy.

Opposed to other reviews, my personal opinion is that Good Night Gorilla is better than Goodnight Moon (although both are great bedtime stories). Funny and filled with great illustrations, Good Night Gorilla is a charming reader. My sons just love it. Another bedtime story I'd recommend and they love is Ladybug Baby Bug, by Janice and Mark Perkins.

My 14-month old son runs to the bookshelf, grabs this book, and thrusts it in our direction to read to him over and over again - he just can't get enough of it! My husband and I have each read it to him dozens of times and happily we aren't bored of it either; the illustrations are excellent, and the story is creative and funny. I highly recommend this book.

A very poor book compared to "Goodnight Moon". Just mooching off the the "good night" kiddie book market.

My son has been reading this since he was 8 mos old, he loves to look at the pictures (there are minimal words) while I describe what is going on. At about 11 mos, when he got to the page where the zookeeper's wife finds Gorilla in bed, he laughed out loud! It's so cute to see him "get it."

As he gets older, there are many smaller details in the pictures that will catch his attention, so it's a nice book that will grow with him.

So it turns out that the "monster" is actually the protagonist which, while having shades of postmodern antihero angst that wil reverberate strongly with fans of, say, Kafka or Burroughs, really threw me for a loop as a kid.

My two year old, on the other hand, has no problem with this conceit, and wants me to read it to him regularly.

He'll understand how cruel this all is when he get a bit older.

Oh yes.

In the meantime, I'll read it for him over and over and over and over, and never get tired of it.

When I was little this was my favorite book. We would read it over and over, and I would pretend I was struggling to turn the pages that Grover had tied, nailed, and bricked over.
So when we had a daughter, this was one of the first books I bought for her. At 2 years old the book sat on the shelves for a while, but she is 3 now, and I recently took it down again to read for her at bedtime. It is now a favorite, we read it every night. I read the pages, then she turns them to give poor old Grover a hard time.
One recommendation...this review is for the standard Little Golden Books version, which is great, but we also found a board book version in stores, so the hard pages are great when you have toddlers turning the pages for you every night. They can really 'struggle' against Grover's efforts without hurting the book.

The Monster at the End of this Book is a wonderful tale with the infamous Grover at the center. Grover believes that there is a monster at the end of this book and he is begging you, the reader, not to read to the end because he is scared of the monster.

This is a wonderful book for toddlers. When toddlers are defying you at every second, this book gives them a great, fun excuse to be defiant and keep turning pages. The Monster at the End of this Book is very easy to read and is ideal for making loud noices and being dramatic.

I read this book to my two year often and she loves it. I remember reading this book when I was young and I love being able to share this book with my children.

I used to read this book to my own children and bought this copy for my grandchildren. The book is still as much fun for the grandchildren as it was for my children -- and the best part is I get to watch my children enjoy reading it to their children! It means they have fond memories of me reading to them.

I received great service and the book was promptly delivered. This book was read to me as a child and to my children when they were little. I purchased it to read to my grandaughter which I have happily done. It's a great "fun" book for children.

What a treat to buy this for a friend's baby. My youngest child LOVED this book because as others have pointed out, it is fantastic! Just reading the words results in a great rhyme and makes you dance. You can't help it. Babies love it, toddlers love it, and parents love to read it, even the 4,999th time. It makes everyone smile. We wore the cover off and had to buy multiple copies. What a great author, love all her books but this is by far our fave.

If you read this book naturally, the inherent rhythms of the text turn it into a little song unto itself. You can tap your foot to it. Our baby girl dances to the *words* alone.

Get this book. It's brilliant.

This is one of the cutest books ever written for little ones! Great quality for tiny teeth and fingers! It's so eye-catching and colorful, they all LOVE this one!

There is no greater compliment than when a child tries to recite the book BACK to the parents. Boynton has accomplished that with "Barnyard Dance!" Our oldest daughter, who is three, has Developmental Apraxia of Speech. Words do not come easily for her. BUT she adores this book and tries to "read" it to us all the time. Guaranteed to please your little one, I promise.

This one is great for babies and toddlers, and even slightly older kids can get into it. It's one of the ones I really wish existed as a non-board book!

The illustrations are cute, the text is simple and catchy - what more do you want?

My son loves to read about Harold's adventures over and over and over again. After Harold, it's Cyrano, a caterpillar failing in school in Life's Little Lessons: An Inch-By-Inch Tale of Successand then Nate the piglet that turns a school upside down when he visits in The Big Squeal: A Wild, True, and Twisted Tail. These books are so wonderful for kid's imagination...and you know what ..I enjoy them too.

My sister resently bought this book for my 3 year old son & once we started to read it I remoembered it from when I was a little girl. My son absolutly LOVES IT & I do as well. To be able to create different things with just a crayon & your imagination is wonderful. It's the perfect book for young as well as old

One night, the self-reliant Harold couldn't sleep, so he decided to go for a walk in the moonlight.

Using his crayon, he makes everything he needs - including the moon. He gets himself into accidental trouble with his crayon (accidentally making a sea, not making the second half of a mountain, making a city full of windows to get lost in), but he always manages to save himself with the same crayon (making a boat, a hot air balloon, and finally his own window "right around the moon").

He even puts himself to bed at the end, knowing he's tired.

Who wouldn't want a kid as independent and responsible as this kid?

It's truly a fantastic book, and you should definitely not ignore it.

I bought this for my three-year-old and she enjoyed the way it opens up the mind to an adventure through drawing, just as I myself did. Wonderful book for children.

I love this story so I bought it for my son. When we got it there were at least 10 blank pages in the book fragmenting the story so badly that it didnt make any sence. My beef is not with the story its with Amazon for selling it to me in that condition and with the publisher for their quality control issues. I only paid 6.99 for it so I didnt mess with returning it. Im going to try it again and see if we can get the whole story this time. If the book is not right this time I will return it and not purchase books from Amazon again. Hopefully we will get a full story and we can enjoy it like my parents and I did when I was a kid.

my 19 month old still loves this book.. at around 13 months he would come to me with the book and tell me 'mom MOOO' ... then we'd read the book together, he loves the animals and the words are so easy to memorise so even though we read it a million times (cuz he loves it that much) i can do other things while still reading him the story by heart as he turns each page.
Also , because it is a nice light read I don't mind reading it over and over again as young children seem to constantly want! :)

This is one of those "what do farm animals say" books, except that some of the animals are a bit... weird (rhinoceroses? Singing pigs?), so Hilarity Ensues.

This is, like many of Boynton's works, a very short book, perfect for babies and for toddlers with a low attention span. Unfortunately, the short length means that your kid will more-or-less outgrow it by pre-k (except as an occasional filler), but that's the price of having a book your baby will sit through.

When my daughter was 18 months old she could recite this book by heart. I loved it and thought it was the cutest thing. Now my son is 14 months old and when he sees the picture of the dog he immediately says ruff, ruff. Boynton is a great author in my opinion and we own several books by her, but this is by far my kids, and my, favorite!!

I love this book - it's a fun, quick read and I love the author's sense of humor. My daughter is 2 1/2 and is a little luke-warm on the book, but I love it.

Our 9 month old loved it when he was just 6 months. I think that just about says how wonderful this book is. And the ending gives a perfect cue for the little ones to voice their opinion!