Weekly Book Review
'BONDING WITH BABY'
Published by Tom Berquist

Bonding with Baby is the creation of Developing Hearts, an early childhood education non-profit. In their work with disadvantaged families, the organization uncovered the need for a set of fun-to-use tools which foster bonding and whole child development before reading. To make sure the books would be effective with new families, the books were evaluated in independent research by Dr. Grover J. Whitehurst, pediatric psychologist and leading authority on language development, and they were field tested with thousands of parents. Results showed that Bonding with Baby books bring parents and infants closer together and fostered an early love of learning together.

The Bonding with Baby book series is unique. It contains four books which are geared to key developmental stages of baby's first 12 months (Security, Discovery, Play and Dialogue). These books do not have any words, but feature beautiful Point and Share pictures that inspire parents to communicate and connect with their babies. The stories in each book capture those special times together that parents delight in and babies love to experience over and over again.

Bonding with Baby books are ideal for working parents because they get moms and dads to forget about their busy day, relax and go into baby's world. First-time parents will appreciate this book series, too, knowing they have the right book for the right time. Sharing a Bonding with Baby book is one of the most emotionally satisfying ways a parent can maximize quality time.

"These books aren't for reading," says Tom Berquist, director of Developing Hearts, the educational publisher. "They're for having fun learning together while laying down the first building blocks." The Bonding with Baby books not only help parents foster full social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development, but also stimulate an early love of books and reading. "Because they both enjoy this quiet time together with books," states Berquist, "books come to 'feel good' to baby like a favorite blanket and that is the first step in learning to read."

Bonding with Baby is sold in a boxed set of four books and makes a beautiful and essential shower gift for a new parent. The durable board books are safe and sized just right for baby's tiny fingers. Parents can also go on line www.BondingWithBaby.org to find out how to start booksharing with their baby. The publisher, Developing Hearts Systems, is a nonprofit organization, and all proceeds from the sales of Bonding with Baby support supplying the books free to families in need through organizations such as Healthy Families America.