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Nurtured and Nuzzled Book Set Paperback ISBN: 978-1-930775-45-9 Price: $17.95 COMING : OCTOBER 2018 These two early childhood books from our Beginnings collection are filled with captivating illustrations of animal mothers caring for their babies. These books demonstrate a wide range of habitats and healthy relationships in the natural world. The elegant text and educational back matter will help parents, librarians, educators, and healthcare providers adopt new ways of introducing children to attachment, breastfeeding, and early science concepts. Both books model the warm, nurturing bond between parent and child, while encouraging curiosity about childhood, nature, and families. Free, downloadable Teachers’ Guides are available to further explore the content in each book. Set includes Cuddled and Carried and Babies Nurse . Click on titles for more information about each book. what the experts say... "★★★★★ Cuddled and Carried is one of those books children will ask to be read over and over. The illustrations make you want to cuddle and carry the book itself. The amazing lifelike illustrations show nurturing relationships of a variety of animals and their babies [who] share the meaning of love. Simple sentences promote a child self-reading from the artwork, even if they don’t know the words. Cuddled and Carried is a fun and educational resource. Highly recommended!" —Reader's Favorite starred review "These gentle books beg to be read aloud with a little one in your lap, but they offer more than mere bedtime stories. Designed to encourage a lifelong passion for learning, they also include supplemental information about the animals pictured as well as suggestions for talking with children about the natural world." —Karen Lyon, The Literary Hill “What gentle books! They nurture a child’s empathy for others and open their eyes to the world of nature. Very sweet and educational.” —Dr. Harvey Karp, FAAP, author, The Happiest Baby on the Block

Cuddled and Carried Karese'm Epi Pote'm Beautiful bilingual book celebrates the bond between parent and child in the animal kingdom - now in Haitian Creole Babies—whether in snowy dens, warm lagoons, cozy nests, or living rooms—are carried and cuddled, nurtured and nuzzled. Stunning images and gentle verse will capture the curiosity of even the youngest readers as they see how animal mothers tend to their cubs, pups, calves, and chicks. Beautiful images introduce the reader to attachment in the natural world. Watching mothers lend a paw, wing, flipper, or hand to care for their young fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion. Supplemental back matter and a free Teacher's Guide helps parents, librarians, educators, and healthcare providers creatively describe caretaking, while introducing a range of early science concepts. Twenty years ago, Dr. Nice helped start the Orphelinat Coeur d’ Jesus (Heart of Jesus Orphanage), a K-12 school in Haiti that today serves 550 students and houses around 50 orphans. He contacted Platypus Media about commissioning bilingual English/Creole editions of the book to be donated to the students of the school. According to Dr. Nice, “Our goal is to give one of these beautiful books to each of the children we serve so they have something of their own to treasure, and this book will certainly be a treasure to hold for the children.” Dr. Nice is working with two translators on the project, Pierre Alix Occide and Honoré Jean, who have also served as English teachers, translators, and interpreters for many medical missions in Haiti. Coming March 15, 2020 Size: 6 x 8 | Page count: 32 | Ages: 1-4 Paperback: $8.95 | eBook: $7.99 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-930775-82-4 eBook ISBN: 978-1-930775-78-7 View the Press Release . Free downloadable Teacher's Guide available. Also available in English and bilingual English/Spanish editions. what the experts say... “This book will... be a treasure to hold ” —Dr. Frank Nice, RPh, DPA, CPHP, founding member of Health and Education for Haiti. “Cuddled and Carried is one of those books children will ask to be read over and over. The illustrations make you want to cuddle and carry the book itself. The amazing lifelike illustrations show nurturing relationships of a variety of animals and their babies [who] share the meaning of love. Simple sentences promote a child self-reading from the artwork, even if they don’t know the words. Cuddled and Carried is a fun and educational resource. Highly recommended!” —Reader's Favorite ☆☆☆☆☆ review “What a gentle book! It nurtures a child’s empathy for others and opens their eyes to the world of nature. Very sweet and educational.” —Dr. Harvey Karp, FAAP, author, The Happiest Baby on the Block “A beautifully and realistically illustrated book that briefly introduces how animals care for their young. Young children will enjoy seeing care-taking by familiar animals and learning about new ones. A good choice for first graders to meet NGSS performance expectation 1-LS1-2 to read to ‘determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.’ The book places humans squarely in the Animalia kingdom, rather than setting us apart from all others, inviting comparisons between species.” —Peggy Ashbrook, early childhood science educator and author of Science Learning in the Early Years About the Author Dia L. Michels is an internationally published, award-winning science and parenting writer who has authored or edited over a dozen books for both children and adults. While her topics include science and math books for middle grade students, her passion is promoting attachment parenting and supporting breastfeeding. Her books have been translated into Spanish, Dutch, and Hebrew. A popular speaker, she lectures frequently at conferences, universities, libraries, and schools around the country. The mother of three grown children, she lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., with four cats and a dog. She can be reached at Dia@PlatypusMedia.com . and Illustrator Mike Speiser ’s artwork has been featured on the covers of Wild Animal Baby magazine and on fundraising products for science organizations. His paintings have been displayed at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. He is involved with efforts to protect the natural world for future generations. He lives next to the Black Hills of South Dakota. He can be reached at Mike@PlatypusMedia.com .

Coming Soon! click on the covers below for more information

Baby Safety Month is here! Let's take this opportunity to delve into one of the most anxiety-inducing topics for new parents: infant sleep . The journey to finding the right sleep routine for you and your baby can feel like navigating a maze of advice, criticism, and opinions. Dr. James McKenna’s bestselling book, Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions , is an invaluable guide that cuts through the noise and helps you make informed decisions. The Parental Anxiety Trap Modern parenting can be overwhelming, especially with the isolation many new parents experience. Most new parents have few family members or close friends to offer nighttime help. With a new baby, chances are everyone in the house is tired and you likely feel like you’re figuring things out in a vacuum. It’s no wonder so many new parents are anxious about making the “ right ” choices. And let’s not forget the flood of conflicting advice from various sources. Once, pediatricians were the go-to experts. Now, with parenting blogs, social media, and a deluge of books offering different takes, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of opinions . It can be exhausting trying to sort out what’s genuinely helpful from what’s just noise. The Problem with Overloaded Advice The reality is, much of the advice floating around lacks solid evidence. Many resources focus more on personal opinions than on thorough research. Dr. McKenna’s approach in Safe Infant Sleep   is a breath of fresh air. His book is grounded in scientific research and practical experience, offering a clear, well-rounded view of sleep practices, including co-sleeping. As the director of the ONLY Mother-Baby Sleep Lab in the U.S. , McKenna not only stays well-read on the subject but also generates the evidence used in evidence-based medicine. His background in evolutionary biology and cross-cultural studies brings a depth of understanding that goes beyond conventional wisdom. Instead of pushing a one-size-fits-all solution, he provides a range of options and the tools to choose what’s best for your family . Empowering Parents to Make Informed Choices One of the standout features of McKenna’s work is his commitment to empowering parents to make choices that are right for them, rather than dictating what they should do. His book presents a balanced view, allowing you to weigh the pros and cons of various sleep arrangements. This approach helps you make decisions based on what works best for your family’s unique needs, rather than adhering to a rigid set of rules. Safe Infant Sleep  dives into important topics like co-sleeping, the role of fathers, and how cultural biases can affect sleep advice. McKenna’s insights are both practical and reassuring, giving you the confidence to create a sleep environment that’s safe and nurturing. Creating a Safe Sleep Space During Baby Safety Month , let’s focus on creating a sleep setup that works for you and your baby. Whether you decide to co-sleep or use a separate sleep space, the goal is to provide a comfortable and safe environment for both mother and baby. Dr. McKenna’s book provides a roadmap to making these decisions with clarity and confidence. By following evidence-based advice and trusting your instincts, you can navigate the world of infant sleep without falling prey to conflicting opinions. Moving Forward with Confidence As Baby Safety Month progresses, use the insights from   Safe Infant Sleep   to guide your decisions about your baby’s sleep environment. Remember, you don’t have to tackle this journey alone. With the right information and a bit of confidence, you can create a safe and restful sleep routine that works for everyone in your family.  In the end, it’s all about finding what feels right for you and your baby , backed by solid information and a good dose of parental intuition! Platypus Media offers valuable resources such as Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions to educate and guide you in taking charge of your baby’s safety journey. Want more content? Check out the titles below! :  The ideas in this blog are inspired by the "Foreword" and "Note from the Author" sections of Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions . Special thanks to Dr. James McKenna and Meredith Small, Ph.D., for their insightful contributions, which have greatly influenced this discussion.

As World Breastfeeding Week approaches, it’s an ideal moment to delve into the intriguing world of breastfeeding by drawing parallels between human practices and those of our primate relatives, the orangutans. In Mammals Unlocked ,  a newer book by Dia L. Michels, she asks a thought-provoking question: How long do orangutan babies nurse before they’re fully weaned? One year? Three years? The answer may surprise you—orangutans, those remarkable red-furred creatures inhabiting the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, nurture their young for an impressive seven years ! This isn’t merely a matter of convenience for orangutans; it’s crucial for their offspring’s survival and development. By imparting essential nutrients and vital jungle life skills, this extended breastfeeding period benefits both mother and child. In stark contrast, human societies often stigmatize breastfeeding beyond infancy. A lack of maternity leave, private places to nurse, and routine separation of mother and baby feed into this problem. Despite dramatic and well-documented health benefits from exclusive breastfeeding, such as enhanced immunity, superior nutrition, and strengthened mother-child bonds, nursing in public or past socially accepted times can still provoke stares and criticism in many places. Breastfeeding stands as a cornerstone of mammalian biology, finely tuned by evolution to secure the health and flourishing of our young. Orangutans showcase this with their prolonged nursing periods, underscoring nature’s blueprint for nurturing offspring through breastfeeding. However, in humans, while most infants receive some breastmilk, exclusive breastfeeding or its continuation often falls short of expectations. The CDC reports that sixty percent of mothers do not breastfeed as long as planned , influenced by factors such as unsupportive work policies, inadequate parental leave, cultural norms, lack of family support, and hospital practices. These statistics highlight the delicate relationship between biology and contemporary taboos in supporting our youngest members. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for aiding mothers and infants on their breastfeeding journey. In the orangutan world, breastfeeding until age seven is the norm. So why do humans often snub this natural practice, subtly discouraging breastfeeding beyond the first year and leading many women to stop before they feel ready? The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) informs us that humans naturally wean between 2 and 7 years of age, with most children stopping between 2 and 4. Regarding breastfeeding beyond this typical range, which aligns more with innate practices, the AAFP emphasizes that extended breastfeeding poses no harm to parents or children. They explain that, in fact, there are numerous benefits associated with it.  Exploring these advantages, the World Health Organization emphasizes the critical role of breastfeeding, pointing out its impact on reducing infant mortality, providing essential antibodies, and offering numerous other benefits for mothers and infants alike. Both WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued nursing until the baby is two years old or beyond if desired.    According to the   CDC Breastfeeding Report Card , in the U.S. today, most (83.2%) newborns start out receiving some breastmilk, but the number falls rapidly. At six months, 55.8% of infants consume some breastmilk, but the percentage drops to 24.9% for babies drinking breastmilk exclusively. It is the rare child in the U.S. who meets the WHO and AAP infant feeding recommendations.      World Breastfeeding Week reminds us to celebrate and normalize breastfeeding as a natural part of early childhood. It’s time to support moms so they can breastfeed without judgment. Ultimately, while orangutans exemplify the biological significance of extended breastfeeding, humans frequently wrestle with societal norms that clash with these natural rhythms. It's time to delve into why breastfeeding stigmas remain so persistent and to fully recognize and celebrate its many benefits. Let’s embrace this natural practice with open arms, honoring its diversity and the deep, meaningful connection it nurtures between mother and child! Platypus Media , and their imprint, Science Naturally , offer resources such as Mammals Unlocke d to educate and pioneer conversations and advocacy surrounding breastfeeding. For more information, check out these additional titles below! : Cuddled and Carried For readers age 0-4 Babies Nurse For readers age 4-7 This is How I Grow For readers age 7-10 If My Mom Were a Platypus: Mammal Babies and their Mothers For readers age 8-12 (or 4-8 as a Read-a-Loud) The Breastfeeding Family's Guide to Nonprescription Drugs and Everyday Products For parents and parenting professionals Safe Infant Sleep For parents and parenting professionals Breastfeeding Facts for Fathers For parents and parenting professionals

Enjoy this excerpt from an Association of Library Service to Children blog about how important it is for librarians to actively support breastfeeding parents. Read the full blog here. This month is the 13th annual National Breastfeeding Month! The campaign helps celebrate the many and varying reasons why this act is so important while focusing the conversation on the babies and families in our communities. Librarians can be crucial in creating a welcoming environment of awareness and support for mothers and lactating parents. Our culture can be hostile toward nursing in public, causing new parents to prefer bottle feeding with formula rather than feel naked and exposed while nursing outside the home. When parents do not feel they can feed their babies wherever they are, the result is often that they abandon breastfeeding. Libraries are essential community resources for families – inviting parents to join their children in activities and providing information on pregnancy, birth, and child-rearing. Because libraries are spaces where children and adults learn together, librarians can play an important role in the promotion and protection of breastfeeding/chestfeeding. Providing resources that model the normalcy and naturalness of nursing not only helps support parents, but also helps to grow the next generation of nursing families. How Can Librarians help? The stigmas and obstacles that surround nursing cannot be changed overnight, but librarians can make inroads into changing peoples’ attitudes – both old and young. Making nursing parents feel welcome in the library is a great start, but the best route to lasting change is by helping children see nursing as a normal and routine activity. Parents cannot advocate for nursing alone; community support from librarians, daycare providers, educators, and neighborhood businesses is essential to actively promote and protect it.