Kids of the picky persuasion will balk at being forced to eat, or even look at, a vegetable. The mere sight of something green on my daughter’s plate can, quite literally, bring her to tears. And no amount of bribing, coercing or pleading can change the situation. If this is your child, or if you simply want to expand your good eater’s already healthy repertoire, two books are guaranteed to cut down on mealtime stress and provide some culinary inspiration. Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Sneaky Chef is very sneaky indeed. Who knew you could hide cauliflower in the ubiquitous mac and cheese? Or turn a bland burrito into an appealing vegetable fiesta? If you’re at your wit’s end, and out of ideas, The Sneaky Chef offers hope.

Having integrated some of these philosophies into your parenting practice, you’re ready to entrust someone else with the task. Or are you? I’ve always likened child-raising to a wildlife catch-and-release program. You nurture, love and fiercely protect this little life, and then it’s time to send your beloved creature into the big, wide world. A terrifying prospect, made less so by Practical Wisdom for Parents: Demystifying the Preschool Years. Is my child ready for the transition? For that matter, am I? What can I do to prepare for it? These and other questions are addressed in the book by two highly qualified, respected authors. Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birnbaum are directors of one of the most prestigious preschools in the country, the 92nd Street Y Nursery School in New York. Together they have almost 60 years of experience with preschoolers and here offer sage advice about the 3 to 5 set. Any parent whose child has experienced separation anxiety or any parent who has herself walked around teary-eyed with that phantom-limb feeling after dropping her child at school will find comfort here. As anyone who’s tried to extricate a sobbing toddler from his leg knows, leaving a child at school can be a heart-wrenching experience for both of you. Whether discussing The Social Lives of Children or Developing Morals and Ethics, these authors are keen observers of kids and know what makes toddlers tick.

Let’s start at the very beginning with Baby Must-Haves: The Essential Guide to Everything from Cribs to Bibs. Parenting magazine has long been the voice of reason for moms and dads alike. Now, hooray, they are offering the ultimate, comprehensive resource for all your baby needs. Do you really have to have that wipes warmer? (Answer: no, but it would be nice.) Can you forgo that bulky activity saucer, or neglecta-tron as we fondly used to call it? (Answer: an emphatic NO, you cannot.) The editors of Parenting have it all covered, in a nice, soft fleecy blanket way. They’ve gathered information from the ultimate authorities, Moms All Over the Country, who know whereof they speak. This guide is packed, like an overstuffed diaper bag, with product lists, mom tips and checklists. It’s nothing short of a godsend.