Synopsis
Perfect for busy parents or caregivers, this revised edition of Baby's First Skills provides the necessary tools to help babies, through the age of 12 months, develop a wide range of early learning skills. Creative play and activities such as building and clapping games, sand play, matching and sorting, lullabies, puppet play and bath-time fun, help ensure healthy mental development and speech, coordination, movement, and social skills.
Library Journal
These two books offer great answers for parents who want to know which games will stimulate their babies' brains best. Having read the scientific literature on the subject, Candiano-Marcus, creator of The Baby Prodigy DVDs and CDs, describes language development, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and spatial development for babies from birth to two. For each area, she suggests original games and toys that can be found around the house, e.g., empty medicine bottles with childproof caps. While many children's experts have warned against this practice, the book's credibility is not compromised by this one piece of misinformation. More straightforward than Candiano-Marcus, well-known child expert Stoppard (Complete Baby and Child Care) describes milestones reached in the areas of language, movement, fine motor skills, intelligence, and sociability for each month of a baby's first year. She also proposes games and toys suitable for each age period. Owing to DK's trademark presentation-i.e., numerous colorful pictures and charts, glossy paper, and boxed text-this book will have wide appeal. The presence of an index also makes it easier to browse. It should be noted that Stoppard's Baby's Learn and Play Pack (a book and card combination) is similar in content to Baby's First Skills. Both Baby's First Skills and Baby Prodigy are recommended for public libraries; however, if you can afford only one and don't own Baby's Learn and Play Pack, go with Baby's First Skills.-Maryse Breton, Baldwin P.L., Birmingham, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.