Shelton's book is perfect to read when you're having a bad day. She understands why moms end up saying things like "If you don't stop jumping on the kitchen counter with Barbie's leg in your hand, you're going to put out your eye and then I won't take you to the circus." It's also perfect to read on your good days, when you're having a laugh about the mysterious cult of the noodle that children enter upon their third birthday. Shelton also manages to add a useful perspective about tricky subjects like "explaining about the bad guys without scaring everyone to death," and why mom is bellybutton lint while the teacher is a goddess.

Best of all, you'll remember life before minivans, before you had toilet paper stockpiled behind the couch--back when you took uninterrupted conversations for granted and went to the gym to feel good, not to lose those post-pregnancy pounds. Being a mom is important, but so is being a person, and Shelton's warmth and humor are sure to help you find your self and your sanity hiding underneath all those sticky layers of peanut butter. --Jill Lightner