A good deed goes a long way. Mary Murphy’s How Kind! ($6.99 at Amazon) uses colorful, chunky illustrations and a simple plot to depict a loving story of circular barnyard kindness. Your babe will learn how simple gifts such as carrots, flowers, back scratches, and eggs (intact and hatched) can bring immense joy. ‘Tis the season.

Were it not for the recent initiation of quiet reading time with Laurel, my contact with novels was in great danger of extinction. Luckily, a fabulous book that I received from my pal Kate helped me get back on the wagon. Intuition may be relatively old news around Boston (author Allegra Goodman is based in Cambridge, as is the story), but this 2006 novel, detailing a plot set within the complicated, grey area-ridden existence that is research academics, is truly compelling and deserves continued kudos. It’s no surprise that someone with my academic training would pounce on this book, but you need not be familiar with NIH grant cycles to become absorbed. The story centers on a flailing postdoctoral research fellow who is on the brink of termination, then finds new life and stature in the lab when his experiments suddenly start working. The lab heads clash on how to handle the promising results, the postdoc’s jealous ex-girlfriend/labmate becomes obsessed with proving that the findings were fabricated, and legal and interpersonal heartache ensues. Goodman pens multidimensional characters, deftly portraying the stress and competition that cuts through the heart of high-pressure academia. But the problems that can accompany workplaces that blur professional lines in an effort to be both productive and chummy no doubt will ring familiar, even if you don't call academia your home. Available at Amazon; regularly $25, currently on sale for $16.50

I was blessed to grow up in a multi-generational household, and loved that my grandfather walked me to kindergarten every morning. We couldn’t communicate verbally (he only spoke Korean and I only spoke English) but it didn’t seem to matter. Our non-verbal communication always seemed to be enough, and we had a grand time winding our way down to school. It seems as if on foot outings (it was nearly a mile trek to school, and on little legs at that) are becoming a thing of the past, but the City Walks series is working to reverse that trend. Published by the ever-clever Chronicle Books, the City Walks series offers 50 walking adventure cards with color maps presented in a compact box that would easily stow in a purse or diaper bag. In addition to City Walks: Boston ($14.95 at Amazon), the series also features walking adventures for New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., London, Rome, Paris, and Amsterdam.

Had you told me a few months ago that I was moving into a house full of psychologists, I would have run screaming. But in addition to being incredibly kind, gentle people, our new landlords (who, as Ph.D.’s in child development and social psychology, don’t appear phased by my near abandonment of academia) are extremely sweet towards our daughter. During a recent visit they brought some wonderful books for Laurel’s birthday; among them, A Pocket for Corduroy, which has become a fast favorite. Revisiting this classic many years later, I am struck by the diversity that author Don Freeman weaves through the story's pages. And apparently Laurel is struck by it too; whenever we get to the page with the Asian woman illustrated, Laurel proclaims, “That’s my mommy!” A Pocket for Corduroy; regularly $15.99, on sale for $10.87 at Amazon.

Just because your current exposure to the art world largely involves finger paints doesn’t mean you can’t fake it along with the best of them. The 20th Century Art Book ($9.95 at Amazon) is a compact paperback A to Z guide to 500 artists, each represented per page with a color plate, historical description, and cross-references by subject matter, style, or medium.

Save for when cheese or cupcakes are on the table, I’ve never seen a pack of toddlers go as crazy as when Go, Dog, Go! ($4.99 at Amazon) comes off the bookshelf. Whether it’s the catchy rhythm, colorful illustrations, or the silliness of seeing dogs race around via unusual means of transport, this classic will have your babe clamoring for more reads. The small board book format is especially well suited for little hands.

The distress is palpable when you say something to your kid that sounds as if it came straight out of your parents’ mouth. To cope, Boston Mamas’ contributing therapist Adelaide Smith, MSW, highly recommends Siegel & Hartzell’s (2004) Parenting from the Inside Out (regularly $14.95; currently on sale for $10.17 at Amazon). Siegel and Hartzell (a child psychiatrist and an early childhood expert, respectively) review findings in neurobiology and attachment research; they explain how interpersonal relationships impact brain development, and offer practical suggestions to forming a deeper understanding of one’s life stories, which will help parents raise compassionate and resilient children.

We’re lucky to be part of a generation of super involved and invested dads. “Peek! A Thai Hide-and-Seek” portrays a loving father/daughter relationship through imaginative writing and illustration within a lush, cultural context. Minfong Ho creates a catchy and playful rhyme scheme engaging a host of jungle creatures; Holly Meade’s watercolor and cut-paper collage work is a feast for eyes of all ages. “Peek!” lists as appropriate for ages 4-8 but much younger babes will love listening to the rhyme scheme, naming the jungle animals, and finding the hiding toddler on each page. Available at Amazon, regularly $16.99; currently on sale for $11.55.

A major wow factor of toddler development is the wide disparity between what toddlers comprehend and what they are able to communicate verbally. “I Like it When…” by Mary Murphy ($6.95 at Amazon) offers plenty of opportunities for little ones to show you just how much they know. The little penguin likes holding hands, dancing, splashing about, and more with the older caretaking penguin. Your babe will delight in acting out the story; you will be blown away when you receive a kiss goodnight.

Is the intensity of the preschool rat race getting you down? You likely will find validation in “Einstein Never Used Flashcards” (2003). Referred to me by developmental psychologist Dr. Derek Price, “Einstein” is written by infancy research specialists Golinkoff, Hirsh-Pasek, and Ever. The authors are critical of the current trend to drive little ones hard and early, and discuss empirical evidence suggesting that pushing preschoolers through achievement programs doesn’t pay off in the long run. The authors instead advocate learning through everyday play, which naturally enhances problem solving skills, attention span, social development, and creativity. Available at Amazon, regularly $13.95; currently on sale for $10.74.

Just because the books in your current library have a high illustration to text ratio doesn’t mean you aren’t ready for a literary challenge. David McPhail’s “Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore” ($6.99 at Amazon) was a gift from a dear friend (long before the babe was around!) and is – without question – one of our favorite books. The illustrations bring character and expression to each and every pig; the text offers a clever rhyme scheme that will hold your babe’s attention while offering your brain some mental gymnastics to get the wording right on memorization.

I’m one of those people who exhausts every possible avenue to find the answers before going to an adult for them. That is why we found “The Baby Book” (of the Sears parenting series) to be a handy reference (the book covers topics from birth to two years). While the attachment approach isn’t for everyone (and we certainly didn’t follow every single suggestion despite being pro-breastfeeding and into baby wearing, etc...), the basic baby care and developmental information is extremely useful. We were able to do a lot of successful troubleshooting at home with this book as a reference (with the web as backup here and there) and it saved us many unnecessary trips to the doctor's office. Available at Amazon - regularly $21.95, currently on sale for $14.27.

Too bad there’s no Harrods in Boston. That’s where a London mama pal picked up her daughter’s unbelievably cute Miffy rolling suitcase. Meanwhile, you’ll just have to content your Miffy fix via print media. Among our very first baby books was "Miffy’s Magnifying Glass" ($5.99 at Amazon). The babe loved looking at the bright illustrations and that cute big bunny head, and I think the punch line is funny and fitting for parents in the trenches (literally) of diaper duty (although I should warn you that some reviewers on Amazon don't agree!).

Here’s to super sizing you’ll feel good about. James Diaz and Melanie Gerth’s series of jumbo books (shown: "My First Jumbo Book of Numbers") offers big, sturdy pages packed with colorful illustrations and lots of objects and colors to name. Babes will delight in the flaps, pull tabs, sliding pieces, pop ups, and wheels. A steal at $9.95, you'll be eager to expand your jumbo books collection to include the letters, colors, shapes, things that go, and dinosaur books. I picked up my jumbo books at Maxima Gift Center (locations in Arlington and Waltham, replete with cool gifts for both babies and adults); the series also is available at Amazon.