The Essential First Year by Penelope Leach

A friend of mine gave me a copy of Your Baby and Child by Penelope Leach when my daughter was born. It was full of excellent advice and has sold over three million copies in 29 languages since it was first published. So I was delighted to see that the author has written a book dedicated to a baby's first year that I could recommend to Olivia to consult about baby Harriet.

The subtitle – What babies need their parents to know – says it all. Ms Leach's philosophy is baby-centred without turning the new arrival into a despotic tyrant! Packed with practical advice and reassuring facts The Essential First Year covers everything from dummies to weaning, sleeping to first steps.

The Essential First Year begins with Pregnancy and birth, and enables parents to make informed decisions based on knowledge. The other sections are:

• New baby, new parents
• Settling in and moving forward
• A member of the family
• Not exactly a baby – nor quite a child

The book has You may hear, From research and Tips boxes that make easy and interesting reading for new – and not-so-new! – parents. How you cope as a parent during your baby's first year goes a long way towards shaping the later child, adolescent and adult. As Penelope Leach writes in the introduction, this is not a "How to" book but a "Why" book and once you read the answers you'll have a much greater insight into your role as a parent.

Beautifully illustrated and completely comprehensive, The Essential First Year by Penelope Leach is a must have for all new parents.

Published by Dorling Kindersley,  The Essential First Year is available from Amazon.