Rating: 
Summary: Good advice, but.....
Review: I read this book when I was expecting twins, and I still thumb through it from time to time for more information. I have a different edition of this book. The reason I didn't give it five stars is that she suggests not circumcising a boy until after he is six years old!! To me, that is cruel. I was always told the sooner the better and I had both my boys circumcised a few weeks after birth.
Rating: 
Summary: Must have guide for anyone with kids!
Review: I bought this book when I was pregnant with my first child, 8 years ago, and still rely on it today. I always give it as a gift to anyone expecting because Dr. Leach is the premiere authority on children. She has a no-nonsense, common sense approach to childcare. I have Dr. Spock and T. Berry Brazelton as well, and love them. But I would recommend Dr. Leach above all others.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book all around
Review: Of the several books on parenting/childcare I've read in preparation for becoming a first-time parent, this is my favorite, the one I come back to time and time again.The content is amazing. Some have described it as "wordy," but I can only say that if you want bullet points, you should look elsewhere. This is well-written, thoughtful communication. Most of the advice is quite balanced and thorough, including large, non-judgmental sections on bottle feeding even though Leach, like all conscientious professionals, is clearly pro-breastfeeding. On some issues she shows a clearer bias, for example circumcision (she disagrees with performing circumcision for other than religious reasons); however, on these issues after further research I have not found her information to be inaccurate. The book is organized into sections based on time periods in the baby's/child's life, and further by various topics of concern within each time period, for example dental care, excretion/toilet training, social development, etc. This is not, however, a book for comprehensive lists of developmental milestones. In addition to the content, the book is very attractive, with full-color photographs, some of them stunningly beautiful, throughout - not the tiny, crude illustrations or fuzzy black-and-white photographs offered in other books.
Rating:
Summary: Sense of humor
Review: This book was so crucial when our son was first born. I was very dedicated to breast feeding, and Penelope provided a lot of information and support. I also like that she tells us like it is. Our son is almost three, and she writes about how kids at this age often act goody-goody, and how it can be annoying to parents. But she elaborates on what this behavior means to the child and how best for parents to handle it. As you are a parent longer, you sometimes will disagree with some things she says, but she always gets you to think.
Rating:
Summary: Empowering
Review: My son will be 17 soon and is a continual source of joy to both of his parents. Reading this book (and pretty much only this book) before he was born was one of the smartest things I have ever done. She combines a reassuring tone with enough specifics to get you through nearly any situation. Her advice ranges from basic to downright astounding. I'm certain that this book established a pattern of interaction with my son that remains today. He was a happy, well-adjusted baby and he is a happy, well-adjusted teenager. I am a better parent for having followed the guidelines in her book.
Rating:
Summary: Great Resource
Review: I don't even have a child of my own, but my Mother owned the earlier edition of this book when I was younger. It is so wonderful, and intellegent! I have gifted EVERY pregnant woman I know with this book! And often followed it up with her other books!
Rating: 
Summary: A Bit Too Opinionated
Review: Based on positive reviews, my husband and I purchased this book as a reference for our newborn baby. Granted we didn't get very far with this book b/c we found the author to be a bit too opinionated. For example, she is so against circumcision that she ended up making my husband feel guilty for choosing to circumcise our son. We would have preferred a book that presented both the pro and con of the procedure and allowed us make up our own mind instead of making us feel bad for our choice.
Rating: 
Summary: Useful 'how to' manual for your baby
Review: A very useful book - it has a wide array of information for new parents. I found it to be a bit more textbook-ish than many of the other books available but it is good addition to the book shelf as it provides a handy reference point for dealing with babies of any age. I really liked the section on how to entertain your baby so it gets good development. Cheap things like hanging lines over the cot with simple everyday objects to entertain them. Nothing expensive, just every day objects. It is typical of the useful suggestions in this book. There is a lot of ground which this book covers so I found it more helpful to read it in conjunction with other books as well. Anyway - it makes sense I think to read more than one book on baby rearing - everyone seems to have their own opinions on what to do and in the end you do have to what seems right. It is just nice to know some of the options available. Leach has a nice table of contents so its easy to navigate - each section deals with a different age - and if in doubt the index is pretty comprehensive for a quick panicky search.
Rating:
Summary: Great resource.
Review: The only reason I rated this a four is that it is very wordy. However, it is a great resource. I found it to be full of information I needed. I was able to turn to it for answers to almost all of my questions. This is a very matter of fact book that is based on facts, current studies and information.
Everything the author says is backed up with information and facts. THis makes it a very valuable book in my opinion because it is not a parenting book that is based on how this author did it, but an informative book based on all the information we know about babies and young children. Well worth getting.
Rating:
Summary: Balanced info based on caring outlook
Review: I have purchased several of the latest books (what to expect the first year & Dr. Sear's) on rearing young ones and this book came to my via hand -me-down. By far this is my favorite, Penelope takes the healthy middle of the road approach with such warmth and love that just makes 'sense' in your heart. Great advice on what toys babies love to play with & when and how to make them happy with everyday objects. If you can only buy one book this is it, it is worth every penny. Great gift for new parents
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