Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1979232 in Books
• Published on: 1997-02-01
• Original language: French
• Binding: Hardcover
• 218 pages

From Amazon.com
For the women who came centuries before now, having a baby was often dicey work. There were noxious potions to drink, zephyrs to credit with conception if one's husband was away from home, and some rather odd pregnancy tests. At least in 16th century Germany the whims of pregnant women were indulged: one plate in this charming, lavishly illustrated history tracing babies from antiquity to today shows a woman pelting her compliant husband with eggs. Once born, the babies created massive controversy. Breast or bottle? Limbs tightly swaddled or free? Daily baths or protective filth? It's amusing and humbling to see how often "expert" advice changes.

From School Library Journal
YAALavish illustrations and information about infant care and management as portrayed in history, folklore, and art from ancient to modern times. All aspects of a child's life are examined from teething to hygiene to nutrition as the theories of childbirth and rearing progressed (or regressed in some cases) over the centuries. The evolution of equipment such as pincers (forceps) for birthing, wicker skits for walkers, swaddling cloths and plastic diapers, buggies and playthings are described and profusely illustrated. The most interesting aspect of the book is the examination of the treatment of babies that is so often dependent upon the economic and social standing of the family and the superstitions of the time. Quotes by philosophers and physicians as well the lullabies and rhymes of the common folk punctuate the ever-changing and contradictory theories of child care. The reproductions of fine art and the journal advertisements and photos command attention, but the text is equally absorbing. This is a truly gorgeous book, wonderfully browsable and equally useful for reports on the role of women and children in society throughout the centuries. The lack of an index is compensated for by a complete table of contents.AJackie Gropman, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that a concoction of herbs boiled in white wine could aid conception, and a garlic clove was used for an early version of the home pregnancy test. According to a Paris police report, of 21,000 babies born in 1780, 19,000 were sent away to wet nurses outside the city. Fontanel, a French children's book author, and d'Harcourt, a book designer and illustrator, have gathered these and a host of other fascinating tidbits in this gallimaufry of art and history. From conception through infancy, no aspect of babyhood escapes attention. The colorful images range from Honor‚ Daumier's print of a pregnant woman overcome with a craving to bite a passing baker, to a 19th- century Japanese print of lounging pregnant women, the fetuses in their rounded bellies visible as though by sonogram, to photographs of early four-wheel baby carriages. A delight to look at and browse through. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.