Be prepared A practical handbook for new dads

Parenting is hard, and reading many of the jargon-filled parenting books out there can make it even harder, but with a combination of smart writing and clever illustrations, husband-and-wife team Greenberg (The Pop-up Book of Phobias; etc.) and illustrator Hayden make both seem fun, if not easy. As the subtitle suggests, the book is filled with advice that will appeal to the solution-centered male perspective, from step-by-step swaddling instructions to a guide for identifying six distinct infant crying patterns. (A hunger cry, for example, is "a pattern of low-pitched, rhythmic moans, growing more and more insistent," whereas a boredom pattern is "a low-volume whimper which stops and starts irregularly.") Not only is Greenberg and Hayden's information useful, but it's also been vetted by "several distinguished fellows" at the American Academy of Pediatrics. Along with the conventional chapters on baby-proofing your house and taking a baby's temperature are more obscure-and amusing-topics, such as how to videotape your baby and how to conduct a "Mirror Puppet Sing Along" to sooth a crying baby while driving (the technique requires two mirrors, a hand-puppet and an indifference to looking silly). Hayden's drawings strike just the right balance between textbook-boring and tongue-in-cheek funny, depicting everything from a sketch of a bottle of teething gel to a drawing of an exhausted father snoozing in a business meeting. Greenberg and Hayden have succeeded in providing new dads (and many moms, for that matter) with an entertaining and informative cheat sheet. Agent, Todd Shuster. (June 1) Forecast: With a blurb from Paul Reiser and a low paperback price, this book should be a strong Father's Day seller. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

A husband-and-wife team, Greenberg (The Pop-Up Book of Phobias) and illustrator Hayden have produced a parenting book styled after a 1950s adventure manual. The challenge: to survive a newborn. The strategy: guyish, no-nonsense tactics for dealing with the trials and tribulations typical of a baby's first year, from diaper-changing to sleep deprivation. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

The First-Month Slump Fatherhood can hit you like a sucker punch. The baby arrives, you're showered with help and gifts and food for a week or two, and then everyone leaves. And you are suddenly hit by this overwhelming feeling that nothing will ever be the same again. Someone has taken away your old life and replaced it with this really long, frustrating community service project. For the first couple of weeks post-baby, you may feel anxious, depressed, and lonely, and why shouldn't you? You're completely at the mercy of a relentless little dictator, and there is no relief in sight. But as you're wallowing, it's important to remember that you are not alone. Fathers the world over, from Copenhagen to Cape Town, from captains of industry to ditch diggers, have all gone through this rough patch. For the majority of dads, this phase lasts somewhere between eight and twelve weeks, at which point you switch into the "I might as well make the best of it" phase. Several factors combine to help lift the dark clouds from your head, including: * The baby is sleeping longer hours. * You're feeling more adept at handling and troubleshooting her. * She's finally smiling at you (the baby, not your partner). If this period lasts more than three months, or you begin to feel completely overwhelmed or withdrawn, talk to your partner and friends and think about seeking professional help. Excerpted from Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads by Gary Greenberg, Jeannie Hayden All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.