What's Going on in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life by Lise Eliot

This book offers a comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge about infant and early childhood brain development. Starting with a detailed yet review of the growing embryo, Eliot guides readers through the sensory, motor, emotional and cognitive systems as they develop. It's not a "how to month-to-month" guide to raising a child, but it offers really interesting information about the importance of breastfeeding and discusses what IQ measure really tell us about child intelligence. It's an interesting book if you want to learn more about the "science" of development, but if you're looking for suggestions about games to play, books, to read to your baby, or what foods to avoid, this isn't the book for you.

Jungle Friends Jumbo Knob Puzzle by Melissa and Doug

Puzzles are always popular toys with toddlers, and this is a great example of everything that is good about puzzles for little hands! Strengths: There are a lot of good things about this puzzle. First, there are only three single, simple shape pieces that need to be put in the board to complete the puzzle. Second, each piece has an extra large knob on the front of it, which makes the piece easy for little hands to pick up. Third, each piece corresponds to a matching picture so the child is given a visual cue about where the animal could potentially go. Finally, the puzzle board and pieces are constructed out of a light but sturdy wood that makes the pieces easy to handle but impossible to bend or break. This also means that they are pretty much indestructible if a child decides to chew on the toy for a little while! Weaknesses: Although the shapes of the pieces are very simple, they can still sometimes prove to be a bit challenging for younger children. This is why it's a good idea to start with really simple shapes like circles or squares when children are about 12 months of age. Price: $5 - $8. Where to Buy:
Melissa and Doug toys are so popular they can be found in most toy stores, at many online retailers, and of course directly through the Melissa and Doug website (http://www.melissaanddoug.com/)

Baby Beach Band by Infantino

This is a soft sided band set that lets babies bang, shake, and rattle without potentially hurting themselves with an instrument that has a harder surface. Strengths: The soft instruments are comprised of different textured fabrics: that crinkle, shine, and squish under little fingers. Because there are four basic instruments (five pieces) there is a lot of variety in the types of play that babies can engage in. Weaknesses: Because of the soft sides the drum can become a little misshapen if you stick into the bottom of a toy box. Where to Buy: It's really difficult to find this toy anymore, but I have seen acouple of them on eBay.

Amazing Animals Stable Friends Tote by Fisher Price

This is a wonderful, portable, and fun filled toy little stable that whose two horses and one chicken are just the right size for a toddler's hands. The mama horse has textured hooves, and when you bend her head she makes, neighing, whinnying, and clip-clop sounds. Strengths: The three animals and basket of apples can all be used for interesting pretend play scenarios. These toys can also be used easily with the other Amazing Animals farm play sets. Weaknesses: It can be difficult to get all three of the animals and the apple basket to fit inside of the stable if you want to get the doors to stay closed. The chicken (that sits on the nest in the back corner of the stable) often falls out of the window, so you need to keep a close eye on it if you take the toy outside. Price: $25 - $30. Where to Buy: This toy is no longer widely available in the regular retail outlets like Toys R Us, but you can find it online at Amazon and eBay.

Brightlings Matchers by Leap Frog

According to the manufacturer of these toys, they are supposed to help young children learn about shapes and colour matching. When the child finds two parts of a matching set, the toy is supposed to glow, twirl, or chime as a way of reinforcing the child's actions. Unfortunately mine never really worked this way. I would get some light, sound, and movement, but certainly not the kinds of effects I thought would happen based on the packaging of the toy. Strengths: They are cute little figure that fit nicely into a toddler's hand and they can easily be used with the Brightlings Exploration Station (i.e., dropping them down the chute). Weaknesses: If your child really likes a "big effect" when playing with this type of toy, they won't get that reinforcement with this one. The play value is limited because the toys don't really operate in the way they are supposed to (or at least in the way I was expecting them to). Price: $12-$17. Where to Buy: I have only been able to find these online in sites like Amazon, eBay, and www.Overstock.com.

Counting and Sorting Farm by Manhattan Toy

Each of the soft pens have a number painted on it and the same number of soft stuffed farm critters inside: 4 cows, 3 pigs, 2 sheep, and 1 chicken. The pens for the cows, sheep, and pigs all have doors that can be opened and closed, while the chicken sits securely in the little nest on top of the stack. Strengths: The animals are really cute and when the doors of the pens are open, you can see what animal is supposed to go inside, so the sorting/counting aspect of the toy is really simple. Because the animals and pens are made from a soft cotton-like fabric (the pens are made of cardboard and covered with the fabric) it's easy to do some spot cleaning when the toy gets dirty.Weaknesses: I like the soft sided construction of each of the pens the animals go in to, but they don't stack well and it's difficult to get then to stay on top of one another. This has proven to be very frustrating for some of the younger children I work with so the toy is often abandoned quickly. Price: $18 - 20. Where to Buy: Manhattan toys can usually be found is specialty toy shops as well as through a variety of on-line retailers.

Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt

This is a classic interactive book for infants and toddlers. They can play peek-a-boo with Judy, wear mama's ring, feel daddy's scratchy beard, smell the flowers, pat the soft fur on the bunny, and then look at yourself in the mirror. Face it, it has it all for the under 2 year old set. The pictures are simple and the text is relates directly to what is pictured on each page. It's an easy book for children to follow and quickly becomes a favourite of most youngsters that I use it with. My only concern is that the binding in a fairly light weight, plastic spiral piece, and the pages can pull off of it very easily. Where to Buy: Given the longevity of this book, it was originally published in the 1970's, it's pretty easy to find in most stores that carry children's books and toys. There are actually several different versions of the book, but the original is the best!

Little People Lil' Pirate Ship by Fisher Price

This is a friendly pirate ship with lots of things for little hands to do on deck! You can shoot the cannon, rock the hammock, lift up the sails, turn the steering wheel, climb into the crow's nest,push the plunger to make the bird squawk, open up the end of the boat so the pirates have a place to sleep, and even make someone walk the plank! Strengths: The toy is well constructed and can withstand lots of enthusiastic pretend play. The figures are a nice size for little hands and it's easy to expand the size of your crew with additional figure sets. Weaknesses: There is only room for one pirate to go to sleep in the bed on the ship and sometimes the hammock can fall off if it is rocked vigorously. But overall, this is a great, sturdy toy that provides lots of chances for pretend and social play activities. Price: $50-$60. Where to Buy: I found my ship about a year ago at a store called Big Lots (and paid about $25 for it), but recently I've only seen it through online retailers like Amazon, eBay, and Overstock.

The Original Roller Coaster by Anatex

You can find bead roller coasters in most doctor's offices, waiting rooms, and other places children gather. This is because these colossal mazes of wood, beads, and wire keep little hands and minds busy for hours. This toy is beautifully crafted with a 12-by-15-inch solid wood base, thick sturdy wire, and wood beads that move easily through the loops and turns of the wire. Strengths: Anatex makes extremely sturdy and long lasting wooden toys. I have had mine for about 12 years and it has been bumped over, sat upon, and dragged across the floor by the wires, and is still going strong. It really can entertain children for a long period of time and it's easy to turn it into a more social toy, where the child must interact with you in order to get it to work. Weaknesses: Sometimes the wires can get pushed out of shape, but the are easy to reshape, so it's not a big deal. The biggest drawback of the toy is that if you choose to use it with younger children who are not yet sturdy on their feet it can tip over easily if they lean on it. Price: $50-$56 (but it's well worth the price in terms of the overall durability and longevity of the toy. Where to Buy: Anatex bead roller coasters can be found in a wide range of toy retailers. Places like Toys R Us, specialty toy shops, and online to sellers all seem to carry one version or another of this type of toy.

Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk by Linda Acredolo & Susan Goodwyn

If you are interested in teaching your baby to use signs or gestures to communicate as a means of supporting later verbal language development, this is a really nice, low pressure resource. The book provides a great rationale for why using gestures and signs can actually support later verbal language development. It also discusses how to use gestures to alleviate frustration in young children who are not yet talking or for those who are just learning how to use verbal words. What's really nice about this approach to teaching signs and gestures is that the authors encourage parents to use both standard ASL (American Sign Language) signs as well as natural gestures (both conventional and ones they make up themselves). There is a great picture dictionary in the back of the book that will help parents get started on their way to using gestures with their infant, toddler, or preschooler.