This book should be in the pocket, briefcase or desk drawer of every practicing or aspiring pediatric neurologist. It is the result of a very fruitful collaboration between current or recent trainees in child neurology and senior editors with many years' experience of teaching child neurology clinically. For those in training it helps order the approach, structure the consultation, shape the history, elicit the signs and then deduce what on earth they mean. It allows a rational, efficient and effective approach to investigation. It helps focus the mind on the range of diagnostic possibilities. A book of this size cannot be comprehensive but it is certainly broad enough in scope to focus the reader's mind and to direct them to further research and reading. We have tried as far as possible to make the book reflect real life situations. It helps in the complexity of ward consultations in specialist hospitals and the emergencies of the intensive care unit. For the experienced neurologist there is important reference material too: those things that are difficult to hold in the mind all the time, which SCA gene tests are currently available?, how the anatomy of the cerebellum links to specific movement difficulties, a suitable regime for cerebral salt wasting. The varying approach in different sections keeps the text alive, interesting and informative. Diagrams and tables are used wherever they help enhance a point. We hope very much the book will become as important a companion to the child neurologist as the listening ear and pen torch.