A book to keep your child safe and well.

As a new mother of a four month old, I knew I needed to read this book. Better to be prepared before any crisis occurs. Since I promised myself that I would read 25 non-fiction books as part of my 50 Book Challenge, I went ahead and took the plunge. Actually, this book is a very fast read. Written by two nurses, their goal was clearly to create an easy reference guide that was accessible to nearly all mothers, regardless of education level (obviously, you do need to know how to read). Each type of illness has its own small section, with large font, symptoms, clearly laid out instructions, tips to try at home and when to call the doctor. The front of the book has two illustrations, of a baby and a child, pointing out problems pertaining to different parts of the body and what pages to reference. Very easy to locate information quickly.

There is a down side to the book's desire to be open to all readers. The information is not as detailed as I would like, and some of the tips are so straight forward that it feels like a waste of space (for instance, telling me the difference between 100.2 and 102.0, eesh, I know how decimals work). The glossary on the back mostly defined basic words that I already knew, rather than focusing on more technical terms. However, I realize that some mothers might really need this assistance, which is the whole purpose of the book. I do have my other parenting books that offer more detailed instructions on these same subjects, so it didn't bother me too much. I like this book as a handy quick reference, a complement to my other parenting books; when I want to really explore and understand the illnesses described, I'll look elsewhere. ( )