Even though Smart Play is written by someone who calls herself Dr. Toy, the book is much more about smart parenting than it is about toys.

Yes, the book has a great deal to tell us about toys. But it's really not for parents who are looking for things to keep their kids occupied, busy, out of what remains of their parental hair.

Toys, in Dr. Toy's remarkably informed view, are tools for good parenting. The right toy is the one that helps the parent connect to their children, and vice versa.

In many ways, this is a great book for grandparents, because it takes the perspective of a grandparent to realize how incredibly valuable it can be to take the time play with your children - for the growth of the parent as well as the child.

Play is the work of the young. Through play, children grow -- physically, emotionally and cognitively. "Dr. Toy," Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D., helps readers to find the toys and playthings that will best advance this growth. This comprehensive book demonstrates a deep understanding of the different needs children have at every phase of their development and provides specific guidelines for choosing toys, computer software, musical instruments and a host of other items children can play with.

Sally Wendkos Olds, coauthor, "A Child's World: Infancy through Adolescence" and "The Complete Book of Breastfeeding."

I didn't know there was so much left to learn about selecting good, quality toys. Dr. Toy's straightforward book is loaded with simple ways to maximize learning while playing! As a parent of a four year-old girl and two year-old son and as a toy inventor for over nine years, I found this book refreshing, useful and fun to read.

GREAT INFO ON MANY OF MY FAVORITE TOYS AND BEAUTIFULLY PHOTOGRAPHED. LOVE THE SLINKY PHOTO!

Really enjoyed reading the book...in fact did it in one sitting, as not only did it transport me back to my childhood, but it caused a flashback through my forty years in the toy industry. Seeing the great pictures and reading about toys and their histories that were either basic or became "hot items" was fun and brought back lots of memories of the toys themselves, the companies that made them, and most of all, the people I was involved with in the industry while these toys were "happening"

wow!toys rarely look this good even in fao's catalog wonderful combination of gift boook, history book and user's guide for parents.