Heather Camlot

One of the best parts about being the editor of a parenting site is receiving a slew of books each month to review. They run the gamut from parenting to cooking, from crafting to decorating, from board books to fun fiction. Unfortunately, there is just not enough room on MySweetBaby to cover every book I read and adore.

But today I thought I would take the opportunity to mention some of the titles I’ve enjoyed over the last few months. Consider them my spring picks for 2011. If you have any books you’re loving right now, let me know by logging in and leaving a comment below.

• The Art of Roughhousing. Do you keep your child in a protective bubble? Authors Anthony DeBenedet and Lawrence Cohen think good old-fashioned horseplay (and the occasional bruise and scrape) is great for our kids. So much so, they explain exactly how to do it, with what age, and how difficult each game might be. It’s time to get physically active and have some physical fun.
• Expecting 411, Baby 411, Toddler 411. I love the way these books, co-authored by paediatrician Ari Brown, cover everything a mom-to-be and new mom would want to know in bite-size, grounded, humorous chunks.
• Child. You don’t normally come across a gorgeous book about parenting, so when this one by Desmond Morris showed up, I took a second look, and a third… Morris traces the developmental milestones from ages two through five, through inspired words and beautiful photos.

• How to Cook Indian. I admit I’m not much of a cook, but when this 600-plus-page tome arrived, my husband was salivating. Author Sanjeev Kapoor is a culinary superstar and the more than 500 recipes have been masterfully adapted for North American cooks of any skill level.   
• 400 Best Sandwich Recipes. Cooking, as previously mentioned, is not my thing. So to receive a book full of sandwiches is divine. Especially with two school-age kids who refuse to eat anything but cream-cheese or turkey sandwiches. Excuse me while I plan lunch…
• Ballerina Cookbook and Cupcake Cakes. I’ve put these two kid-oriented books together because they have the same fab photographer, Zac Williams, who can make anything look scrumptious. The first book features delightful concoctions like Pointe Shoe Cookies and Sugar Plum Fairy Pops, while the latter has ingenious arrangements such as Seahorse and Sparkly Snowflakes.

• Oliver + S Little Things to Sew. One day I will open the sealed box with my sewing machine and learn how to use it. And if anything will move me to do just that, it’s this collection. Liesl Gibson’s book is full of accessories and toys for little ones, from tutus to backpacks, from hats to blankets, each one more breathtaking than the next.
• Decorate. I admit, I love peering into people’s houses to see how they’ve decorated. It’s a terrible habit, but I can’t help it. Flipping through Decorate, by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick, is a similar experience, albeit one where I don’t look like a nosy neighbor. While the section on children’s rooms is small, you can gather ideas for the nursery or toddler bedroom throughout the book, because color and playfulness shouldn’t be limited to kiddie rooms.
• The Book with a Hole. Hervé Tullet is my new favorite author. Technically a children’s book, The Book with a Hole really is interactive entertainment at its best. There is literally a hole in the middle of this book, and Tullet asks you to use your imagination to fill it, be it by coming up with a face for an octopus or shooting a crumpled piece of paper through the hoop. Brilliant.

• Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. My daughter grabbed this book off my desk as soon as she saw it and insisted we read it right there and then. It’s a delightful take on a bedtime story, with all the different trunks finishing their last bit of work before heading off to dreamland.
• My Dad, My Hero. If you’re looking for a Father’s Day gift, this is it. Each line rings true with what we believe a superhero should be (and what dad is not) and the Lichtenstein-like images are the perfect complement. A wonderfully funny tribute to dad.
• Animal Parade, Baby Hears. I know, I know, books that make noise are not high on parents’ list. But these two titles aren’t annoying. In fact, these lift-the-flap, hear-the-sound books are quite cute, with Animal Parade offering short snippets of various musical instruments and a grand finale featuring them all together, and Baby Hears providing everyday sounds from choo-choos to giggling (which actually made me giggle, too!)