In the late 19th century, there wasn't much hope for premature babies--until Dr. Couney developed the incubator. The device was so new and strange, hospitals rejected it. So Dr. Couney set up a sideshow at Coney Island, taking care of the tiniest newborns as part of a display to convince the public that incubators worked. Thousands of babies grew into healthy children as Boardwalk Babies, including Dr. Couney's own premature daughter. Many of those babies came back as adults to thank the doctor for his miracle cures. Science meets magic show in this fascinating true story.

“A mosaic mystery told in vignettes, cliffhangers, curious asides, and some surreal plot twists as Raffel investigates the secrets of the man who changed infant care in America.”—NPR, 2018's Great Reads What kind of doctor puts his patients on display? This is the spellbinding tale of a mysterious Coney Island doctor who revolutionized neonatal care more than one hundred years ago and saved some seven thousand babies. Dr. Martin Couney's story is a kaleidoscopic ride through the intersection of ebullient entrepreneurship, enlightened pediatric care, and the wild culture of world's fairs at the beginning of the American Century. As Dawn Raffel recounts, Dr. Couney used incubators and careful nursing to keep previously doomed infants alive, while displaying these babies alongside sword swallowers, bearded ladies, and burlesque shows at Coney Island, Atlantic City, and venues across the nation. How this turn-of-the-twentieth-century émigré became the savior to families with premature infants—known then as “weaklings”—as he ignored the scorn of the medical establishment and fought the rising popularity of eugenics is one of the most astounding stories of modern medicine. Dr. Couney, for all his entrepreneurial gusto, is a surprisingly appealing character, someone who genuinely cared for the well-being of his tiny patients. But he had something to hide... Drawing on historical documents, original reportage, and interviews with surviving patients, Dawn Raffel tells the marvelously eccentric story of Couney's mysterious carnival career, his larger-than-life personality, and his unprecedented success as the savior of the fragile wonders that are tiny, tiny babies. A New York Times Book Review New & Noteworthy Title A Real Simple Best Book of 2018 Christopher Award-winner

The Ocean City Baby Parade is the longest continuously held baby parade in the nation, tracing back to August 10, 1901, when the city's first baby show was held. From its beginning with 46 babies in the prettiest, cutest, and fattest baby categories, it has grown into a boardwalk extravaganza with 300 entrants, bands and bugle corps, professionally decorated commercial floats, homemade baby floats, grand marshals, and cartoon characters. Many families plan their vacations around this well-known event, and they are among the thousands of spectators lining the boardwalk each year.

Placing babies' lives at the center of her narrative, historian Janet Golden analyzes the dramatic transformations in the lives of American babies during the twentieth century. She examines how babies shaped American society and culture and led their families into the modern world to become more accepting of scientific medicine, active consumers, open to new theories of human psychological development, and welcoming of government advice and programs. Importantly Golden also connects the reduction in infant mortality to the increasing privatization of American lives. She also examines the influence of cultural traditions and religious practices upon the diversity of infant lives, exploring the ways class, race, region, gender, and community shaped life in the nursery and household.

A man runs through the fairgrounds of the 1933 World's Fair in a race to save a premature baby in this mesmerizing novel from an award-winning author.

When Amelia’s mom gives her a journal for her birthday, she finally has a place to share her truest feelings at last! Nine-year-old Amelia’s mother gives her a blank notebook to write down her thoughts and tells her it will make her feel better. Why would a dumb notebook make me feel better, Amelia thinks. The only thing that will make Amelia feel better is going back to old house, her old school, and her old friends. Amelia does not—do you hear this!—want to move. But no one is listening to Amelia.

This heartwarming picture book reassures children that a parent’s love never lets go—based on the poignant lyrics of JJ Heller’s beloved lullaby “Hand to Hold.” “May the living light inside you be the compass as you go / May you always know you have my hand to hold.” With delightful illustrations and an engaging rhyme scheme, this book offers the promise of security and love every child’s heart longs to know. From skipping stones and counting stars to climbing trees and telling stories, every moment is wrapped snugly in the certain warmth of a parent’s presence and God’s blessing. With poignancy and joy, this bedtime read captures the unconditional love parents want their children to know but so often fail to express amid the chaos of daily life.

LUNA BABIES is a story of the popular premature baby exhibit that existed for forty years at one of Coney Island's largest amusement parks, Luna Park. From 1903 to 1943, 8,000 premature infants were cared for by Dr. Walter Baier and displayed to spectators who paid admission to view them. This is the story of Dr. Walther Baier and his family, chronicled through the narratives of the doctor, his wife, his daughter and his nurse. Was Dr. Baier showcasing the premature babies as freaks of nature, exploiting them for his own financial gain, or was he providing them with the highest level of healthcare which was their only hope for survival?

North America’s most beloved regions are artfully celebrated in our board book series, which is designed to soothe children before bedtime while instilling an early appreciation for the continent’s natural and cultural wonders. This board book celebrates the unique New York City borough of Brooklyn with rhythmic language that guides children through the passage of both a single day and the four seasons. A multicultural group of people visit Brooklyn’s attractions while saluting the iconic aspects of each place, including Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, Prospect Park, the Prospect Park Zoo, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the New York Transit Museum, the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Islanders, the Brooklyn Public Library, and much more.