Puzzling over the how, when, and what of solid feeding can burn countless parental energy units; my cousin Pauline recently wrote in to recommend First Meals by Annabel Karmel. Written for parents ready to mix it up in the kitchen, this book covers nutrition basics, home prep process and gear, and recipes and menus for babies and kids. Pauline’s daughter enjoys lots of the recipes!

We used the older version of First Meals, and while I didn’t have the energy to cut and structure all of Laurel’s food to look like animal faces and shapes, we did get a lot of great ideas about what to try when, and different menus to present. Plus, for a good month or two, Laurel was wildly entertained by the book itself; she spent a lot of time giggling at the pictures of said food animals.