Eskimos is a "best bet for new parents."
Starred Review
Hopgood "writes from a place of respectful, cosmopolitan curiosity – a refreshing break from the often judgmental tone of parenting books and blogs."
How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm
Lucky Girl is "a great book... to move you"
Lucky Girl, May 2009 Book Pick
"A pleasure to read...This absorbing assemblage of perspectives will help widen our own."
Top Pick for Lifestyles Jan. 12, 2012
In Eskimos, Hopgood "provides substantial food for thought, the kind that any new, in-tune mother would appreciate."
How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm
"Hopgood is a likable narrator whose life embodies a fascinating Sliding Doors-type what-if scenario."
Lucky Girl, June 2009 Book Pick of the Month
Eskimos "is a smarter and classier answer to Vicki Iovine’s 'The Girlfriends’ Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood'. . .Combining her background as a journalist and her newness as a mother, Hopgood draws no conclusions and passes no judgments. Rather, she provides substantial food for thought, the kind that any new, in-tune mother would appreciate."
Washington Post, Feb. 10, 2012
“A fascinating journey through cultural differences in parenting styles. Learning how moms and dads potty train their toddlers in Argentina or deal with bedtime in French Polynesia may put things in perspective and offer new ideas.”
Scholastic Parent & Child
Hopgood “writes from a place of respectful, cosmopolitan curiosity - a refreshing break from the often judgmental tone of parenting books and blogs… the book is breezy and entertaining, and Hopgood is charmingly self-deprecating about her own mothering of the formidable Sofia, who emerges as a sassy character in her own right.”
"This delightful book by Mei-Ling Hopgood explores parenting customs from around the world, from allowing children to stay up late in Argentina to letting schoolkids “fight it out” in Japan to allowing children to play by themselves in Polynesia. Hopgood speaks with physicians and parenting professionals to back up the efficacy of the sometimes unexpected parenting customs, many of which run counter to traditional American parenting wisdom – and bring surprising results."
"For parents and grandparents, though, this book is as irresistible as a newborn and as hard to let go. If you've got room in the diaper bag or if you can lose a couple hours reading, How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm is a book to pack."
“A best bet for new parents … Throughout her carefully organized text, she shows enormous respect for everyone she speaks with and everything she learns. Hopgood’s point is that there is no superior way to raise children, and thanks to her open-minded approach, readers have an opportunity to take advantage of all the world has to offer.”
Booklist Starred Review
“How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm is that rare thing: a parenting book that is a pleasure to read and doesn’t make you feel utterly substandard…. this absorbing assemblage of perspectives will help widen our own.
Bookpage, Jan 12, 2012 Top Pick
“Hopgood’s text is a satisfying mix of research, observation, interview, and personal experience…Readers will laugh, marvel and muse over the many (frequently opposing) child-rearing methods that persist despite the growing globalization of parenthood.”
Publishers Weekly
“Going beyond the obvious, Hopgood turns up information of special interest to new parents… In a conversational writing style, Hopgood enriches her narrative with personal anecdotes, and with interviews with scientists and representatives from the various cultures she explores. “