Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hogg, a British nurse (and author, with journalist Blau, of two previous Baby Whisperer titles) who died of melanoma at age 44 in late 2004, addresses the issues of eating, sleeping and behavior in infants and toddlers. Hogg's followers will no doubt be delighted with her tips on breast and bottle feeding, introducing solids and coping with colic and other problems (though the book probably won't please those seeking a less structured approach to parenting). A stickler for details, Hogg stresses the importance of establishing patterns and routines, and even includes meticulous feeding charts. Her chapter on sleep problems is especially useful, with troubleshooting tips to help determine whether a baby is overstimulated, in discomfort, hungry or lacks an adequate sleep ritual. Hogg espouses "PC" (patient and conscious) parenting, as opposed to "accidental" or quick-fix parenting. She uses acronyms and abbreviations freely, explaining, for example, the sequence of events known as E.A.S.Y (eat, activity, sleep, you) and the sleep strategy she calls P.U/ P.D. In spite of Hogg's easygoing tone and friendly propensity for calling her readers "luv," her approach to solving problems is quite methodical. The high-spirited Hogg is humorous yet relentless in her quest to help parents find out why their baby acts a certain way and how to manage and respond to various behaviors. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
British-born Hogg (Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers) earned her nickname for her ability to quickly discern the needs of babies; this book presents confident answers to the questions most frequently asked of her. While not a complete retread, the book recycles much of the commonsense advice for which Hogg is known. Respect for and being attuned to one's child is critical in learning how to parent; acronyms aplenty encapsulate advice (e.g., H.E.L.P. stands for Hold yourself back, Encourage exploration, Limit, and Praise). Real-life scenes demonstrate how structured schedules foster predictability and avoid the usual crankiness surrounding "the big three" mom-and-infant issues: sleep, eating, and behavior. Some readers may like the bulleted how-to lists that punctuate Hogg's conversational narrative, but pinpointing issues is still difficult without an index. If your medium- or large-sized library doesn't have Hogg's first two titles, this is a solid purchase; otherwise-and for smaller libraries-order on demand and rely on the post-birth "What To Expect" titles. Hogg's recent death may bring extra sensitivity to demand.-Douglas C. Lord, Connecticut State Lib., Hartford (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
