BRINGING UP BÉBÉ One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting

Pamela Druckerman, an American expat living in Paris with her British husband, grew curious about the differences between French parenting and American parenting after seeing well-behaved French children seemingly everywhere. She explores the philosophy of French parents and the supports of the French social system, gleaning and distilling many lessons, such as the French focus on firmness, politeness, and reserve. As interesting as the lessons about family dynamics and child rearing are, narrator Abby Craden’s overwrought French accent when voicing French parents and child-care experts is a major distraction. While the accent does differentiate the author’s voice from those of the French people she quotes, it sounds so exaggerated that it diminishes the impact of the ideas presented. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2012]