Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Why Babies Do That (Blog Book Tour)

I have another Blog Book Tour post coming your way, this time about a wonderful new book by Jennifer Margulis, editor of of the award winning anthology Toddler: Real-life Stories of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love (Amazon link to Toddler, you can also read a Literary Mama review here). I first heard (actually, read) about Jennifer Margulis when Catherine Newman, one of my favorite mama writers, mentioned her own contribution to Toddler in her weekly column. I found out about the Blog Book Tour through Dawn (one of my favorite bloggers and also mama writer) and I was delighted that Jennifer included me - thank you! Now, on to the book.

I'm absolutely sure that most people have already looked at a baby and wondered why he or she is acting a certain way. Have you ever wondered "Why do babies grasp onto things so tightly?" or "Why do babies look so keenly at human faces?" or "Why do babies drool?" or "Why do babies flail their little arms and legs like miniature kickboxers?" Have you ever asked yourself "Why do babies love to be bounced and jiggled?" or "Why do babies waddle when they walk?" If you're a new parent, or when you were one, you certainly wondered in a bleary-eyed chronic sleep deprived state "Why do babies resist going to sleep?"

These are just a few of the 40 questions answered in a very straightforward yet scientifically sound manner by Jennifer Margulis's Why Babies Do That: Baffling Baby Behavior Explained. The answers are accompanied by stunning pictures of babies. Just take a look at the cover!!

This book has the best of two "approaches" to baby books: it has the delightful, endearing pictures and look that you can expect from a "gift book" and the reliable content of a child development book, just in simpler language. It is certainly a wonderful present for new parents and/or grandparents, maybe even aunts and uncles!! And now I can't wait for Jennifer Margulis's book about toddler behavior since she's planning to write one! I'm even thinking of sending some questions her way :)

2 comments:

Alice said...

Sounds really interesting!! Does it also answer the question of "Why does my baby use everything he gets his fingers on to hammer into our new dining room table, creating huge holes, and grinning insanely as he does so?" ;)

Left-handed Trees... said...

Great review--the toddler one would surely look a little different from the sweet smiling Buddha baby, wouldn't it? I can just see the cover image of a child with an eggplant purple tantruming face right now...(or maybe that's just around here...)