Stefanie Wilder-Taylor has appeared on Comedy Central and Evening at the Improv, and her sharp wit takes center stage in Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay and Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom. A collection of short, smart essays inspired by Wilder-Taylor’s experiences as a novice parent, the book is full of her hilarious observations on the joys and complexities of motherhood. Sippy Cups contains fun yet practical set pieces on choosing a babysitter, losing baby weight and traveling with children, as well as chapters on annoying stuff moms are sure to encounter. In an essay titled Women Who Love Their Babies Too Much, the author riffs on mothers who are so hyperfocused on their kids, they create websites in their honor (which, of course, they compulsively update), while in Little Brainiacs, she vents about the pressure put on parents to raise precocious kids. Sorry, Wilder-Taylor says, but no matter how much reading and talking to your belly in Chinese you do, your child is not going to pop out speaking Mandarin. This little volume is perfect for spreading some joy on Mother’s Day.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
