Book Review: thepurplebook: baby by Hillary Mendelsohn

By Sandy Amazeen Feb 13, 2006, 1:53 GMT

Expecting a baby? Know someone who is? Give them a helping hand and see to it they have a copy of this guide to some of the best baby and maternity internet sites on the web. This concise, well organized and comprehensive little volume is thoughtfully laid out beginning at the introduction which not only covers how to get the most out of the book but goes into everything from maternity wear to toddlers. Several check lists are provided to assist the parents-to-be in readying the nursery, packing for the hospital, breastfeeding and much more. It’s kind of like having a helpful auntie at your shoulder.

The chapter on using the book covers all the basics of safe on-line shopping which the majority of savvy shoppers already know plus an icon key and some useful definitions. From there the reader can dive in and browse alphabetically or make use of the product, key word or company indexes in the back to find exactly what they’re looking for. There are even some lined, blank pages in the back for note taking and contact information given so you can submit feedback or suggest your own favorite websites that might have been missed. My only complaint with this book is that it wasn’t available sooner!