The dozen quilts are not bad and have some nice ideas embedded. I particularly liked the use of applique on the 'jungle playmat' (Gail Smith, p.58).

But this book was written in 2006; why does the author persist in outmoded gender stereotypes? In her alternative color schemes -- which otherwise would be a great idea -- she repeatedly offers florals and pastels for girls; the bright bug and frog prints are 'a great alternative for little boys.'

As it turns out, bugs and frogs come in both male and female, and children of all ages play with them. So bug and frog prints are appropriate for children of any gender. And, all babies, boy and girl, appreciate bright color schemes. So there's no reason to exclusively torture girls with pastels (and florals).

I suspect the author's readers can pick out for themselves that some patterns are code 'masculine' or 'feminine' or 'gender-neutral', so her prescriptive gendering is not just irritating -- it's also unnecessary. ( )