97 Ways to Make a Baby Laugh by Jack Moore, Penny Gentieu (Photographer)
$6.95
Beyond Peek-A-Boo. Completely nutty yet effective, this charming book for parents who want to tickle their baby's funnybone--and their own--is like a book of parlor tricks, except that the person who's being entertained is six months old and often as impassive as a stone. Adult readers, especially those harried by the day-to-day details of caring for an infant, will rediscover their own sense of the absurd and delight in the suggestions and illustrations. Nothing pleases new parents more than Baby's first laugh, and here to keep the chortles coming is a collection of infant-tested sight gags, skits, parlor tricks and practical jokes. Try THE LIVE JACK-IN-THE-BOX. THE "SCAMOOCH." BABY'S STINKY FEET. Or THE DISAPPEARING NOODLE. They're a little nutty, require no training and few props (Baby's hat, bubble gum, a polka CD), and are guaranteed to work--on one condition. Grown-ups can't hold back. Which means not only will you be tickling Baby's funny bone, but your own as well.
Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love by Linda Acredolo, PhD and Susan Goodwyn, PhD
$11.20
More than 65 delightful games and activities to jump-start your baby's amazing brainpower. Can simply singing a song or blowing a dandelion under a toddler's nose help her mind to blossom? Can your baby count, remember events, and solve problems even before he can talk? The exciting answer to both questions is yes! Breakthrough research is revealing the extraordinary inborn abilities of infants.
It is also showing how experiences during the first years of life profoundly influence intelligence, creativity, language development-and even later reading and math skills. Baby Minds is not another program for creating "super babies." Instead it builds on activities that babies instinctively love to develop their unique abilities and make your daily interactions full of the joy of discovery-for both of you.
The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance by Louis Borgenicht and Joe Borgenicht
$10.47
First-time parents who are not offended by the observation that "babies, unlike other appliances, lack instruction manuals," will find a rich resource of facts and advice. It’s the answer to every new parent’s first question: Doesn’t this thing come with an owner’s manual? At long last, yes! Through step-by-step instructions and helpful schematic diagrams, The Baby Owner’s Manual explores the common concerns of every first-time parent: What’s the best way to swaddle a baby? How can I make my newborn sleep through the night? When should I bring the baby to a doctor for servicing? Whatever your question, you’ll find the answer here--courtesy of celebrated pediatrician Dr. Louis Borgenicht and his son, Joe Borgenicht. Together, they provide plenty of useful advice for anyone who wants to learn the basics of childcare.
Keeping the Baby Alive till Your Wife Gets Home by Walter Roark
$11.60
The perfect gift for soon-to-be (or even has-been) dads, Keeping the Baby Alive till Your Wife Gets Home is a tongue-in-cheek peek at modern parenting from a father’s point of view. It’s as funny, page-by-page, as the title promises, and all of the laughter is backed by candid advice. The spoof, clearly targeted at today’s career-minded mom-and-dad team, romps merrily from subtle to slapstick.Yet under the surface Keeping the Baby Alive focuses consistently on the complex feelings new fathers encounter but are reluctant to talk about. The breezy, irreverent humor escorts dads through basic topics such as home-from-the-hospital adjustments, postpartum do’s and dont’s, diaper-changing, feeding, difficult infant behavior, child care choices, the walking/talking stage, father-baby games and more. Inspired by Mr. Roark’s first-born, Meghan, the original manuscript was set aside for years. Brought to life now for the first time by Clearing Skies Press, the publication of Keeping the Baby Alive has an unusual twist to it. Now a teenager, Meghan, the book’s original inspiration, actually contributes to the work’s humorous illustrations. It’s a story with a happy ending for a very special father-daughter team.
It's hard to be good. Especially if you don't really know what "being good" means. The two biggest questions to ask ourselves in life, he says, are "Are most of the people I know glad that I am here?" and "Am I glad that I am here, myself?" If you want to make good friends and keep them, he says, "You have to be HONEST. You have to be FAIR. You have to be STRONG and You have to be WISE." This strangely charming life primer, illustrated with endearing stick figures, goes on to explain why you have to be honest--how handy it is to be trusted, for instance, when you need to borrow money. And if you lie too much, "We can't believe ourselves or anyone else, because we don't really know what the truth is any more than a penguin and that is a stupid way to live." Specific reasons for not being a "lazy lump" or a liar or a cheat are outlined matter-of-factly, as are basic lessons in how to be well and strong. Originally published for the very young (it has an early-reader format with big type and pictures), Leaf's how-to-be-good guidebook will probably be shared among adults as a back-to-basics inspirational book. A satisfying reflection of a time when what was right and wrong seemed more black and white. (All ages)
