the book you’ve always wanted… now an eBook!

Written by PEACE Program founder, Mariana Bissonnette, Babies Build Toddlers: A Montessori Guide to Parenting the First 18 Months is more like a coffee table book than it is a dry parenting paperback. It’s comprehensive, yet easy to read, informative and still engaging, and offers new insights into the child’s most critical years of development.

Babies Build Toddlers eBook
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A Look Inside the Book

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  • Introduction & Chapter 1

    In this chapter, Mariana discusses the basic ideas behind the role of the adult in the life of a child and how our role shifts from directly supporting development vs. creating the conditions that allow our child to thrive. Understand how we can use the next stage of development to understand what to do now to support the child on their path.

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  • Chapter 2: Movement

    In this chapter, Mariana discusses the development of fine and gross motor movement, the stages, the supports, the obstacles, and how the Montessori environment is set up to inspire - rather than impede - this essential development.

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  • Chapter. 3: Language

    In this chapter, Mariana discusses the development of expressive and receptive language development, the stages, the supports, the obstacles, and how to create a language-immersive Montessori environment for your child during this critical window of development.

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  • Chapter 4: Eating

    In this chapter, Mariana discusses the developments related to the starting of solid food; what they are, how they intersect, and how the child can be brought into the culture of the family through food. She covers Montessori eating tools, weaning, table manners, and getting eating off to a good start right from the start.

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  • Chapter 5: Sleep

    In this chapter, Mariana discusses the development of sleep over the course of infancy and the ways to support sleep as it depends in the child. She discusses schedules, routines, eating as it relates to sleep, sleep interruptions, and how the Montessori floor bed is used in support of the child’s sleep from the beginning.

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  • Chapter 6: Hygiene

    In this chapter, Mariana discusses the developments related to the child’s hygiene, including bathing, body care, and toileting. We will discuss what these developments are, how they intersect, and how the child can see themselves as their own person, with their own body from the start so that they can grow into the responsibility of taking care of it.

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  • Chapter 7: Bonding

    In this chapter, Mariana discusses the development of bonding and attachment, it’s role in development, and how we as adults can support the child in establishing a strong and secure attachment that allows for their own basic trusts to be established. She also shares about the “Gardener’s Chart” about how we can use the developmental timeline to prepare ourselves as parents for the most challenging times with our child.

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  • The Final Charts & References

    In this last section of the book, Mariana shares an overview chart of the child’s comprehensive development from birth to 18 months as well as the sources and Montessori texts that are cited throughout the book for further reading and discussion.

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Read the Introduction

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Meet the Illustrators

  • Lisha Nicole

    ILLUSTRATOR

    Lisha Nicole is a self-taught acrylic painter and digital illustrator currently based in Houston, Tx. Falling in love with art at a young age, her art has always been inspired by bold and beautiful people and their vibrancy that glows from within. Currently, her art represents life, love, culture, and diversity. Check her out: @love_lisha_nicole and lishanicole.com

  • Brenda Citlali Brambila

    ILLUSTRATOR

    Brenda Citlali Brambila Flores is a self-taught illustrator and Mexican native who was raised in Chicago while being undocumented for 15 years. Her activism and work have kept the undocumented struggle at a center. She was unable to pursue illustration academically on account of being undocumented and so she started teaching herself digital art. Check her out: @citlali_illustrations

  • Esma Bosnjakovic

    ILLUSTRATOR

    Esma is a self-described “free-time” illustrator, born and raised in beautiful Vienna, Austria. She started doing art as a hobby on the side only recently, and it has since changed her life in the best possible way! Esma loves creating illustrations which counter stereotypes and portray Muslim women as they really are - surprisingly ordinary. Check her out: @strudelworte

  • Samantha Morales-Johnson

    ILLUSTRATOR

    Samantha Morales-Johnson is a Southern California native and an active member of her tribe, the Gabreleno/Tongva Band of Mission Indians. Samantha is a Science Illustrator and strongly believes in the importance of illustrated books beyond childhood. Check her out: @native.illustrator

  • Sophia Marie Pappas

    ILLUSTRATOR

    Sophia is a Pittsburgh-based illustrator creating work for magazines, children's publishing, and greeting cards. She has had the pleasure of working with Google's San Francisco offices, F&W Media, Attic Studio Publishing, NPR, and American Greetings. Her work is inspired by her love of print making and people watching. Check her out: @sophiamariepappas and sophiamariepappas.com

  • Tracy Nishimura Bishop

    ILLUSTRATOR

    Tracy Nishimura Bishop is an illustrator of more than 20 picture and chapter books. She grew up on a U.S. Army base in Japan and has always loved drawing. Tracy studied illustration at San Jose Sate University. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, son, and a very hairy dog named Harry. Check her out: @tracybishopart and tracybishop.com

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Reader Reviews

Book Reviews

  • "Wow. This was so. good. There aren’t a ton of Montessori books aimed at the 0-3 age range, and I think I’ve read most of them - both The Montessori Toddler and The Montessori Baby; Montessori From the Start; Aubrey Harris’s Baby’s First Year Milestones; How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way - and now this one. Even though I’d read so many others, somehow there was still lots of new information. "

    Lauren A.

  • "I love the way the author organized all of the different important threads - movement, hygiene, language, etc - and then showed how they all fit together. Like a really great grad school thesis with annotations and everything. But! Still easy to read and understand. And the illustrations are beautiful. Add in all the inclusive language - it’s just a really thoughtful, well-done book with so much knowledge and goodness packed in. It’s something I return to again and again as my child grows. Thanks, Mariana!"

    Lauren A.

  • "I absolutely love this book! I am very particular about the books I recommend to families and this one checks all of my boxes. This book is a great guide in helping families embrace the Montessori lifestyle from birth in an easy-to-read format. The illustrations help make child development information accessible to someone with little previous knowledge. It is authentically Montessori and brilliant! I also appreciate the intention put into representing various skin tones, family structures, and cultures."

    Gabrielle

  • "So informative and well written. My husband and I have been reading this together so we can be on the same page. It’s been an excellent reference for us. The visuals and organization are so beautiful and easy to follow. I highly recommend this book to any current or expecting parent!"

    C. S.

  • "The perfect book to understand how to help young children in the first three years of their most important brain and character development. As an Early Childhood Education teacher, I recommend this book to all of our parents and families. Our school also supplies several copies of it in our library as a resource for both parents and staff."

    Vera

  • "The chapters arrangement is very nice.it doesn't become boring like lots of other books. Illustrations are nice and you find lots of diversity in them as the author aims for. Good amount of information is packed and doesn't overwhelm the reader. Definitely recommended!"

    Mohammad A.

  • "Looooove this boook! I recommend it to everyone who is looking to learn more about Montessori. I am a Montessori guide from 0-6 and I absolutely love it."

    Carolina

  • “This book is much more like a beautiful coffee table book than it is paperback novel. Even my children love looking at it. It’s a fabulous Baby Shower gift and a must-have for any parent with an infant.”

    Emely R.

  • "Perfect book if you’re starting to learn about Montessori. I have a newborn and keep referring back to this book. 10/10 recommend."

    Dani N.

  • "This book is a great resource. It provides both theory and practical insights into the infant toddler age group. I appreciate the illustrative approach about early child development. The author, Mariana Bissonnette has created an invaluable resource for adults that aids us through the most important stages of life."

    Carlita

  • "This book covers everything you need to know about supporting your little one from birth to 18 months using Montessori philosophy. Easily digestible, wonderful illustrations and developmental charts, comprehensive. It’s informative and to the point. At the end of each chapter there’s a four box summary (with support, prepare, inspire and avoid) to quickly refer back to when needed."

    Lindsay

  • "This book is a great overview of early childhood development - it focuses on empowering the reader with information so that parents can feel confident in the development decisions they're making for their children. It has clear recommendations, easy to understand visuals and digestible text that's easy to pick up and put down. Highly recommend this book!"

    Brianna T.

  • "Amazing book for new parents or future parents. A great one for the caregivers, so easy to understand and to rely on. Thanks to the author."

    Pascale Q.

  • "The book I have been wishing someone would write and endlessly searching for. So happy to have found this! Thank you!!"

    K. T.

  • "Beautiful resource for new families. As a trained Montessori guide, I’d highly recommend this book for parents and educators alike."

    Brittany K.

  • "This book is wonderful. It's very well-written, and presents deep conceptual understandings about childhood in an accessible and down-to-earth way. This book does an excellent job sharing the core concepts of childhood development and the Montessori teaching method. It is very inclusive both in the illustrations and the content itself. LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!"

    Rebecca

  • "In the world of so many voices about how you should parent your baby, this is my “one voice” that I listen to most. This book gives you the developmental context to understand what’s going on with your baby, how to observe your child so you can lean into the skills they are trying to develop, and how to set your baby up with the fundamental skills they need to be independent and resilient as a toddler and beyond. The author has excellent training in AMI Montessori for 0-6 year olds and has worked with 1000s of families on how to implement montessori in their home. I really love the practical guidance, beautiful illustrations, and digestible format of this book."

    Sabrina B.

  • "I am a new, older mom. My husband and I have waited close to 10 years for our baby. Once she got here , we had collected years of baby items but had no idea what we were doing. This book helped my husband and I prioritize how we wanted to raise our daughter and what areas to focus on around the house. Because of this book, I was able to donate over 75% of the baby items I had collected during our infertility process. And felt really confident in the direction we chose to raise our daughter"

    M. D.

  • "Beautiful illustrations and really well written! I recommend this book to all new parents, caretakers of infants/toddlers and anyone else who just wants to read something amazing about child development."

    Shenequa B.

  • "This book is amazing and well written! I'm new to the Montessori base parenting and it was so informative and easy to follow along."

    Christina C.

land acknowledgement

The PEACE Program operates on the unceded territory of Huchiun, part of the ancestral land of the Lisjan Ohlone people who traditionally speak the language Chochenyo (currently occupied by the City of Oakland, CA).

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I hope you join us in contributing to the Shuumi Land Tax, a voluntary financial contribution that non-indigenous residents can make to support the acquisition and preservation of local land for Indigenous people. If you live outside of the San Francisco Bay Area, I encourage you to find, honor and acknowledge the Native Land you live on.