Book excerpt: This unique book is an accessible, "child-centered" introduction to child growth and development. It presents the most up-to-date information in descriptive terms to inform readers about how children look, sound, and behave. Practical and research-based, without being research oriented, it looks at children over small time periods to reveal patterns of growth and development. Courses in Child Development, Educational Psychology, Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Child Psychology, and Parenting courses.