Book Reviews
Yvette O’Dowd has been a passionate reader since childhood. Her first pregnancy in the early 1980s saw her consuming the local library collection of books about pregnancy, childbirth, child development and child care. Having ignited a life-long interest in these subjects, Yvette went on to work at Merrily Merrily Enterprises [the retail arm of the Nursing Mothers’ Association of Australia (now known as The Australian Breastfeeding Association)] from 1995 - 2000. This included the recommendation and sale of books on breastfeeding and human lactation, parenting and related titles to both parents and health professionals.
From 2008 - 2013, Yvette ran The Breastfeeding Centre In Dandenong, Victoria - the Victorian Branch Office of the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Here she curated and maintained an extensive library of books available to both members and volunteers. When establishing the Southern Natural Parenting Network in 2014, Yvette had a vision of a collection of books available to members and the wider community, establishing a community library on wheels available at meets and events. Yvette’ family are resigned to her extensive personal collection! (Thank goodness for the digital revolution!)
Yvette also has a passion for children’s books - particularly picture books - and her collection expanded as her family has. Books for children about babies are of particular interest. Stay tuned for review soon!
Browse Yvette’s recommendations:
Because I Said So
In this thoughtful and accessible book, Sarah Ockwell-Smith dismantles traditional authoritarian parenting methods, arguing for a shift toward connection-based, emotionally intelligent approaches. She explores the origins of obedience-focused parenting, its long-term effects, and offers practical tools for raising confident, cooperative children without coercion.
Beginnings
In Beginnings, Sarah Ockwell-Smith explores how experiences during pregnancy, birth, and the early months of parenting shape a child’s lifelong emotional and physiological development. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology, she challenges the push for early independence and instead celebrates slow, responsive beginnings rooted in connection and nurture.
The Starting School Book
This gentle guide helps parents prepare children emotionally and practically for starting school. It covers everything from separation anxiety and new routines to friendships, lunchboxes, and emotional regulation, all through a developmentally appropriate lens that respects the child’s readiness and individuality.
The Second Baby Book
This warm, practical guide supports families preparing for — or adjusting to — life with two children. It covers pregnancy, birth, sibling transitions, divided attention, guilt, and rebuilding routines with calm and compassion.
The Gentle Eating Book
This reassuring and evidence-based guide offers a respectful approach to feeding babies, toddlers, and young children. Sarah Ockwell-Smith addresses common concerns — picky eating, food refusal, family mealtimes, weight worries — with empathy and science, helping parents raise competent, relaxed eaters without bribes, pressure, or power struggles.
The Gentle Parenting Book
This foundational guide introduces the principles of gentle parenting from birth to age seven. Sarah Ockwell-Smith explains how to build strong connections, set kind boundaries, and meet children's emotional needs with empathy and respect. Covering everything from tantrums to play, it helps parents raise emotionally resilient, confident kids without punishment or control.
The Gentle Discipline Book
This book offers respectful, effective strategies for guiding behaviour in toddlers and young children — without shouting, punishments, or rewards. Sarah Ockwell-Smith explains how to handle tantrums, defiance, aggression, and boundary-pushing with empathy, age-appropriate expectations, and calm consistency.
The Gentle Sleep Book
A gentle, biologically normal approach to infant and toddler sleep. This book provides age-appropriate expectations, tips for better sleep without crying-it-out, and reassurance that frequent waking is not a parenting failure but a developmental stage.