Saturday, May 28, 2011

1. Especially for Mom and Dad

These are books that Mom and Dad will love as much as baby.

A Daisy is A Daisy is a Daisy (Except when it's a girl's name) by Linda Wolfsgruber (A Groundwood Book, $16.95, 2011) Delicate flowers transform into girls in this charming book of flower names by an award-winning Austrian artist. Some names you may recognize, like Chloe (a very young sprout), while others may be refreshingly new, such as Girassol (sunflower), Kielo (lily of the valley) and Mirte (myrtle).
Sure to make eyes misty, Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman, about a parent's undying adoration and support (Feiwel & Friends, $16.99, 2010), and Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman, a magical blessing for girls (HarperCollins, Reprint Edition 2011, $17.99). Gaiman asks ladies of light and ladies of darkness and ladies of never-you-mind to shelter and guide an infant girl as she grows.
Humpty Who? A Crash Course in 80 Nursery Rhymes, by Jennifer Griffin (Workman Publishing, $11.95, 2007), plus a sing-along CD with 35 songs. Nobody needs to know that you don't know what a tuffet is. With a little cramming, new parents can lullaby with the best of them. Included are fun tips on emoting and "the miracle of the yoga om."
Who says it better than Pooh? Here are three delights: Positively Pooh: Timeless Wisdom from Pooh, When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six Deluxe Edition, collections of poetry by A.A. Milne with decorations by Ernest H. Shepard (Dutton, $19.99 each, 2008). Magical poems about the wonder of being a child, including a favorite Halfway Down: "Halfway down the stairs / Is a stair / Where I sit / There isn't any / Other stair / Quite like / It. / I'm not at the bottom, / I'm not at the top; / So this is the stair / Where / I always / Stop."
Perfect for adoptive parents: Sweet Moon Baby: An Adoption Tale by Karen Henry Clark, illustrated by Patrice Barton (Knopf Delacorte, $17.99) A baby from China is carried around the world by a turtle, peacock, monkey, panda and goldfish to her new parents in this darling book.

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