YOU: Raising Your Child: The Owner's Manual from First Breath to First Grade

This seventh volume in the YOU series (following YOU: Having a Baby) by Oprah's favorite physician-authors continues yet further dilutes the well-known brand. Apparently making full use of the data collected for the previous books, radio show, and Oprah programs, the book lacks structure and is uneven and scattershot, providing advice on a select number of not especially essential child health topics in chapters on the biology of infant education; child gastrointestinal issues; infectious diseases, allergies, and the immune system; and preventing childhood accidents and dealing with doctors and hospitals, thus forgoing the traditional structure of most parenting resources, which present information along developmental ages and stages. Some useful material may be found in a section entitled "YOU Tools," which features minimal hands-on instructions for diaper changing, interpreting infant cries, and the like; a number of short lists of required gear—but this section seems more an afterthought, a place to put all the good stuff that didn't fit into chapters. Although readers would expect the media star authors and the pediatric experts they recruited to create a real go-to guide, they will be disappointed, and the familiar, casual tone doesn't work. (Oct.)