The ABCs of being mom Advice and support from the mom next door : birth through kindergarten

After giving birth, Bongiorno couldn't stop shaking. When she asked her nurse when it would stop, the terse reply was "when they go to college." Bongiorno wished she had someone to share with her what to watch out for and what was coming up next, and this motivated her writing. This work is planned as a three-book series with the second and third volumes covering grade school through high school. It is intended to be a guide to family organization with tips to make everyday life smoother. For the first three months the basics include sleeping, feeding the baby, eating yourself, repeat, but most of all she emphasizes being kind to yourself regarding expectations. The toddler years provide an opportunity for learning to get along with new siblings, connecting to and learning about their own heritage, and exploring the world around them. Part II gives practical hints for organizing your home and implementing routines, while part III contains suggestions for managing information and paperwork, including budgeting, insurance, and estate planning. VERDICT Though much of the development information provided is basic, it may be helpful to newer moms, and parts II and III contain useful hints and resources.

A comprehensive advice manual for new mothers. In her nonfiction debut, Bongiorno, a mother of two, wants to stress the seismic shift that occurs in a woman's life when taking care of a new baby: "whether you are your child's birth mother or adoptive mother, your life as you knew it has changed." It's a self-evident observation, of course, but the author goes into great detail regarding the many different aspects of being a parent, with special emphasis on the social and emotional repercussions. There are copious pragmatic reminders, essential for new moms; she urges readers to be sure to save and organize their child's health records, for instance, including doctors' notes and vaccination dates, which might get lost in the shuffle of everyday life. The author is also creative and generous with her tips on outside resources, noting that "Your local recreation department, places of worship, or the YMCA may host classes for mothers and their young babies." The book's chapters include a smattering of bullet points and checklists, clearly designed for ready access and quick consultation. The book's main attraction, though, is Bongiorno's warm authorial presence throughout, steadily offering advice and encouragement and always ready with anecdotes from her own motherhood adventures. The emphasis is always on life's constant change and how to adapt to it. Much of Bongiorno's advice feels like common sense, and much of it will be very familiar to young parents who regularly consult parenting-advice books; the author urges readers to limit their child's screen time, for instance, and to make a concerted effort to get to know their teachers. However, the focus of the book is on community and the notion that parents, and particularly new parents, need not feel isolated, as there are always caring people ready to help them. This advice, delivered in the author's empathetic tone, will be a godsend to harried child-rearing newcomers. A kind and highly readable parenting guide. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.