| |
|
|
| |
|
| Kirkus Discoveries
Review of "Way of the Baby: A Book of Five
Grins" |
| |
The first English
translation of Kuramoto’s treatise on the
manipulative ways of the baby. Written
by “a legendary samurai baby from seventeenth
century Japan” as a self-help guide for tots,
the way of the baby has Zen’s clarity and
obliquity. Kuramoto, with the aid of Suzuki’s
minimalist sketches, examines all aspects
of a baby’s communication skills. Parents
should pay close attention to this wise baby’s
advice. Like Noam Chomsky’s concept of hard-wired
grammar, babies have an intuitive grasp of
communication using gestures, looks and vocalizations.
First: “The Way of the baby is through mastering
the parent.” Stick to your resolve, says Kuramoto;
don’t give your hand away to the parent, for
many interesting revelations emerge when the
parent’s guard is lowered: “Know the secret
of the grin and the power of the gaze. Anticipate
the plans of the parent without looking and
before they occur.” Use facial expressions
to grab attention: Narrow your eyes and let
out a soft grunt or a measured yelp if a parent
seems distracted or disinterested. Laughter,
too, is always a key to the heart.
| |
An
elegant and useful guide to parenting,
from a unique perspective.
|
| |
|
| |
-
Kirkus Discoveries |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
