advice on toddler books needed

[manna]

can anyone recommend a good, all round toddler book? I know 'toddler taming' is meant to be great, but is it only about 'taming' or is there health and development stuff there too? What about 'What to expect - the toddler years' ? I had 'What to expect in the first year' and found it very helpful. I would prefer to buy just one, big comprehensive one, if possible.

What age does the "What to expect" book go up to?

I had a set of books called "Your One Year Old", 2-yr-old and 3-yr-old, written by a couple of psychologists/development people - ooh, the name of one of them just came to me, Frances Ilg, I googled it and it came up with lists of books up to "Your 10-14-yr-old" !!! (Blimey!)

As DS2 is 9 I obviously haven't read them for a while and I'm pretty sure I gave them away (I'll have a look in a bit) but used them a lot when he and DS1 were those ages, as I recall they are written in a very parent-friendly way and are not at all depressing (eg if your child isn't doing somnething yet) or patronising.

They are available at amazon - this is a review :

"When you know what behaviors are "normal" for your child's age you can relax, stop the worry, and focus on appropriate solutions. This whole series of books accurately defines the ages and stages of children. These books keep your expectations realistic and allow you to avoid anger caused by a lack of understanding of your child's developmental stages."

Not cheap though, and not available in an omnibus edition apparently, but you can buy 2 at once and save a bit. They are really good! (If anyone is interested but doesn't want to splash out they will probably have them in the library.)

Amazon also have this listed under Child Development:

Your Child's Development: from Birth to Adolescence ~ Richard, PhD FBPsS CPsychol Lansdown, et al -- (Paperback - 3 April, 1997)
Our Price: £10.49

Synopsis
This is a guide for parents to the challenging process of helping their children develop. It sets out all that parents need to know about the way a child develops - physically, mentally and emotionally - from birth, through infancy and childhood, to the crucial period of adolescence. While the main narrative focuses on the grand patterns of development, separate boxed sections deal with key subjects, for example, what to do about bullying or how to help a shy child make friends. This revised edition includes up-to-date growth charts based on the latest surveys of children and young people up to the age of 18. Richard Lansdown is the author of "Children in Hospital", "Child Development Made Simple", More Than Sympathy: The Psychological Needs of Sick and Handicapped Children" and co-editor of "Problems of Pre-School Children".

Review
A helpful, extensive and well-written guide to child development. Attractively illustrated with sensitive and often charming photography. I would recommend this book to any parent or parent-to-be.

Another vote for 'What to expect'

The Best Friends' Guide to Toddlers is worth a read. Very funny!!

For a more serious read, "What to Expect...." was brilliant.

Another vote for 'The Best Friend's Guide... the one about getting your life back is very funny, it is really targetted, and makes me chuckle.