Family Whispering: The Baby Whisperer’s Commonsense Strategies for Communicating and Connecting with the People You Love and Making Your Whole Family Stronger

Blau and Hogg, authors of Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, explain their parenting philosophy as one of “observing, listening, and understanding,” and reject a hierarchal, parent-down, household management style. The book is hands-on, with readers instructed to have a notebook at the ready. Quizzes and essay questions punctuate every chapter—such as “How Authentic Are You?” or “Empathy: Where Do You Stand?” The workbook component is the book’s strength. Chapters on handling hardship or dealing with siblings can run both too long for those seeking a parenting overview and too short for those looking to solve serious problems. The “Chore Wars” chapter is more useful, tackling issues of inequality between parents, but also suggesting that children can contribute to the household from an early age. A toddler can throw out trash while a 10-year-old can purchase groceries using a list, all of which “builds a repertoire of skills.” Blau, a journalist, and Hogg, a parenting consultant, teamed up on three previous projects focused on babies and toddlers. Though Hogg died of cancer in 2004, after having planned this book with Blau, Blau effectively brings her spirit and inspiration to the page. Agent: Eileen Cope, Mark Creative Management. (Feb.)