WATCH ME GROW!

Developmental milestones modeled by charmingly photographed babies may reassure new parents, and toddlers will see themselves in the pictures.

Each spread shows two winsome babies of the same age, capturing them milestone by milestone. They are almost always smiling, though the 1-year-olds just beginning to stand on their own look slightly panicked. (Curiously, they also look older than the 15-month-old toddlers on the next spread who are walking with help.) Exclamatory text in a large clear type on the upper-left page describes a behavior while the typical age for each skill is highlighted in a quarter circle on the lower-right-hand corner. The editors seem to have picked the upper end of the age range for each milestone. Standing is labeled at 12 months and walking is at 15 months though babies can actually reach these markers up to three months earlier, a simplification that is understandable given the format. These babies’ behaviors include drawing and eating with a spoon as well as gross motor skills. The editors wisely chose children of a variety of skin tones and ethnicities, with a just about even distribution of white-presenting babies and babies of color.

A cute-as-a-button reminder that growth comes in sequential ages and stages, this should be of special use in households with new baby siblings.