Book Reviews
Yvette O’Dowd has been a passionate reader since childhood. Her first pregnancy in the early 1980s saw her consuming the local library collection of books about pregnancy, childbirth, child development and child care. Having ignited a life-long interest in these subjects, Yvette went on to work at Merrily Merrily Enterprises [the retail arm of the Nursing Mothers’ Association of Australia (now known as The Australian Breastfeeding Association)] from 1995 - 2000. This included the recommendation and sale of books on breastfeeding and human lactation, parenting and related titles to both parents and health professionals.
From 2008 - 2013, Yvette ran The Breastfeeding Centre In Dandenong, Victoria - the Victorian Branch Office of the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Here she curated and maintained an extensive library of books available to both members and volunteers. When establishing the Southern Natural Parenting Network in 2014, Yvette had a vision of a collection of books available to members and the wider community, establishing a community library on wheels available at meets and events. Yvette’ family are resigned to her extensive personal collection! (Thank goodness for the digital revolution!)
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Browse Yvette’s recommendations:
Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting
This book offers a clear, practical framework for parents who want to move away from reactive, punitive approaches and build a more connected, cooperative relationship with their children. Dr. Laura Markham introduces three core ideas: regulating yourself as a parent (self-awareness and emotional management), connecting with your child (building trust and emotional safety), and coaching rather than controlling (guiding instead of punishing).
The book blends neuroscience, developmental psychology, and gentle parenting strategies in an accessible, encouraging style.
The Secure Attachment Parenting Book: How to Raise a Connected Child
This book offers a thoughtful and accessible introduction to secure attachment parenting. Grounded in current developmental science and written in a friendly, encouraging tone, Kristen Harding provides a practical guide for parents who want to raise emotionally connected children through attuned, responsive care. It serves as both a philosophy and a toolkit, making it a great resource for those new to gentle parenting or seeking reassurance about the choices they’re making.
Raising Resilient and Compassionate Children
This is a beautifully written, deeply grounded guide for parents who want to raise emotionally resilient, empathetic children without relying on punitive discipline. Drawing from trauma-informed practice, the latest neuroscience, and decades of experience in emotional support work, Lael Stone and Dr. Marion Rose offer a heartfelt and practical approach to parenting that centres connection, healing, and compassion. The book weaves together real-life stories, tools for emotional regulation, and insights into the parent–child relationship.
How to Raise a Teen: A Guide for Parents of Thirteen to Twenty-One-Year-Olds
How to Raise a Teen is the final installment in Sarah Ockwell-Smith’s series of developmental parenting guides, following Between and The Starting School Book. This book offers a comprehensive, evidence-informed approach to parenting adolescents aged 13 to 21. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and her own experience as a mother of four young adults, Ockwell-Smith addresses the emotional, social, and practical challenges of the teenage.
Parenting by Heart
This foundational title offers an encouraging and compassionate introduction to gentle parenting. Pinky McKay draws on science, instinct, and lived experience to help parents build secure attachment and confidence from the newborn stage through toddlerhood. Topics include breastfeeding, sleep, infant communication, settling, and responsive care.
100 Ways to Calm the Crying
A practical, reassuring guide for parents of crying babies, offering insight into the many reasons babies cry and how to respond gently and effectively. Strategies include physical comfort, emotional attunement, sensory support, and self-care for parents.
The Fussy Baby Book
This book offers guidance for parents of high-need infants and toddlers, providing strategies to soothe and understand fussy behaviors. Drawing from their pediatric experience and personal parenting journey, the Sears present insights into the unique challenges and rewards of raising a high-need child, emphasizing responsive and intuitive parenting.
Nighttime Parenting: How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep
This early work by Dr. William Sears offers a foundational perspective on infant and toddler sleep through the lens of attachment parenting. It addresses the biological and emotional aspects of children's sleep, emphasizing the importance of responsiveness and connection during nighttime hours. The book discusses topics such as co-sleeping, night nursing, and the developmental nature of sleep patterns, aiming to help parents understand and support their child's sleep needs without resorting to rigid training methods.
The Attachment Parenting Book
This book introduces the core principles of attachment parenting in an accessible, supportive format. It outlines the "7 Baby B's" — birth bonding, breastfeeding, babywearing, bedding close to baby, belief in the language value of your baby’s cry, beware of baby trainers, and balance — as foundational tools for building secure attachment. The authors emphasize flexibility, parental intuition, and emotional connection.
Parenting for a Peaceful World
This book explores how child-rearing practices throughout history have shaped societies and major world events. Robin Grille argues that safeguarding children's emotional development is key to creating a more peaceful and harmonious world. Drawing on research in psychology, neuroscience, and history, the book examines the impact of different parenting styles on individuals and societies.
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering
This book offers a comprehensive guide to natural childbirth and early parenting, blending scientific research with personal experience. Dr. Sarah Buckley, a family physician and mother of four, advocates for minimizing medical interventions during birth and emphasizes the importance of a calm, supportive environment. She explores topics such as undisturbed birth, the hormonal processes involved in labor, and the benefits of practices like co-sleeping and extended breastfeeding. The book is divided into two parts: "Gentle Birth," focusing on pregnancy and childbirth, and "Gentle Mothering," which addresses early parenting choices.
Heart to Heart Parenting
This book offers a compassionate guide to nurturing children's emotional intelligence from conception through the early school years. Robin Grille, an Australian psychologist and parenting educator, emphasizes the importance of deep connection and empathy in parenting. He provides insights into understanding children's emotional needs and offers practical strategies for building strong, respectful relationships without resorting to punishment or manipulation.
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
This influential and widely loved classic on communication between adults and children offers practical strategies to foster cooperation, emotional expression, and mutual respect. Based on the authors’ experiences with the Parent Effectiveness Training and their own workshops, the book uses real-life examples, comics, and step-by-step techniques to demonstrate respectful communication without shouting, threats, or bribes.
Because I Said So
In this thoughtful and accessible book, Sarah Ockwell-Smith dismantles traditional authoritarian parenting methods, arguing for a shift toward connection-based, emotionally intelligent approaches. She explores the origins of obedience-focused parenting, its long-term effects, and offers practical tools for raising confident, cooperative children without coercion.
Why Your Baby’s Sleep Matters
This compact and informative book offers an evidence-based, gentle perspective on infant sleep. Ockwell-Smith explains why babies sleep the way they do and helps parents understand what’s normal, what’s not, and how to respond compassionately.
Beginnings
In Beginnings, Sarah Ockwell-Smith explores how experiences during pregnancy, birth, and the early months of parenting shape a child’s lifelong emotional and physiological development. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology, she challenges the push for early independence and instead celebrates slow, responsive beginnings rooted in connection and nurture.
The Starting School Book
This gentle guide helps parents prepare children emotionally and practically for starting school. It covers everything from separation anxiety and new routines to friendships, lunchboxes, and emotional regulation, all through a developmentally appropriate lens that respects the child’s readiness and individuality.
The Second Baby Book
This warm, practical guide supports families preparing for — or adjusting to — life with two children. It covers pregnancy, birth, sibling transitions, divided attention, guilt, and rebuilding routines with calm and compassion.
The Yes Brain Child
This empowering guide explores how to cultivate openness, resilience, and balance in children. Through the lens of brain science, Siegel and Bryson show how to encourage a “Yes Brain” mindset—flexible, curious, and emotionally aware—versus a “No Brain” state of fear and reactivity.
To Three and Beyond
This thoughtful and affirming collection brings together real-life stories from families who breastfeed into toddlerhood and the early childhood years. Janell E. Robisch curates a diverse range of experiences, reflecting the joys, challenges, humour, and deep connection that come with long-term breastfeeding.