For decades, new parents have relied on Dr. Brazelton's wisdom. But all "Brazelton babies" grow up. Now at last, the internationally famous pediatrician, in collaboration with an eminent child psychiatrist, has brought his unique insights to the "magic" preschool and first-grade years.Through delightful profiles of four very different children, the authors apply the touchpoints theory (following the pattern of growth-new challenge-reegression-recharging-and renewed growth) to each of the great cognitive, behavioural, and emotional leaps that occur from age three to six. In the second, alphabetical, half of the book they offer precious guidance to parents facing contemporary pressures and stresses, such as how to keep a child safe without instiling fear, countering the electronic barrage of violent games and marketing aimed at children, coping successfully with varied family configurations, over-scheduling, competition, and many other vital issues today. A Merloyd Lawrence Book

T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., founder of the Child Development Unit at Children's Hospital Boston, is Clinical Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development at Brown University. He is a famed advocate for children, and his many other internationally acclaimed books for parents include To Listen to a Child, Infants and Mothers, and, with Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D., The Irreducible Needs of Children. Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D child psychiatrist and supervisor of inpatient psychiatry at Children's Hospital Boston, is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Associate Director of Training at the Brazelton Touchpoints centre. He is co-author with Dr. Brazelton of Touchpoints Three to Six and several titles in the Brazelton Way series.