`Its clear style and comprehensive coverage make this book an important resource for those researching child care and education practices in the European Union' - NNEB News `This book would be a useful "quick reference" addition to the library of anyone interested in international issues in education' - International Journal of Early Years Education `This study provides rigorous and incisive analysis of the data in relation to the conditions existing in each of the member states included in the work' - Studies in Education `The book is accessible and informative, with a wealth of data which are clearly presented. It will be useful to further and higher education courses for all adults who work with young children' - Educational Psychology This book is written by leading representatives in the field of early childhood from eight European countries - Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. The contributors provide an analysis of the history, philosophy and politics of the forms of provision for young children in their own countries, and the extent to which that provision is deemed to be educational in its general aims.