According to a recent article in the British newspaper The Daily Mail (April 26) new mothers eschew reading literary classics. They opt instead for light reads and “chick-lit,” with a full 55 per cent understandably saying that they would rather sleep than read a book.

Doctors are calling this phenomenon maternal amnesia, but in Britain it is more commonly referred to as “nappy brain” or “mumnesia.” Research suggests that this condition is temporary and due only to lack of sleep. Studies indicate that women who have children actually become more astute, growing more brain neuron connections to allow them to adequately protect and care for their offspring. Moms actually have a heightened learning curve for survival.

On the book lookout for those afflicted with this temporary reading lull, I spotted “Momzillas” by Jill Kargman. This novel covers all the bases with cut-throat, hyper-competitive mommies on Manhattan's Upper East Side, vying for the best stroller (Bugaboo, $800), cashmere Ralph Lauren baby sweaters ($240 each), Hermes Kelly bags (a mere $16,000 for vintage) and summer foreign language lessons for toddlers, no less.

We suffer the travails of our lead character, Hannah Allen, a Princeton Ph.D. in art history who has just moved from sunny California to the chic Upper East Side where having the wrong baby pacifier is akin to committing social suicide. Through the first chapter I felt like gagging, but by the second, I was hooked. This is like “The Devil Wears Prada” on Similac. It is funny and smart, a chilling expose on the lengths to which some people will go to keep up with the baby Joneses.

You don’t have to be a Rockefeller to enjoy great taste. Pack up the baby and head outdoors with this menu of legendary picnic foods. Keeping things simple will help mom have a great time, too.

LEMON DEVILED EGGS
3 hard boiled eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons prepared mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/8 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
Lemon zest curls and lemon pepper for garnish

Slice hard boiled eggs in half length-wise.
Scoop out yellows and place in bowl; reserve egg white in plate.
Mash yellows using back of fork; add mayo, lemon juice, zest, and lemon pepper and mix well.
Spoon into egg whites or place yolk mixture in Ziplock bag, cut off small corner, and pipe into eggs.
Garnish with lemon zest curls and lemon pepper.

TUNA SALAD
Leave out the onion, if little ones who hate the taste will be picnicking with you. Mixing the olive oil with the mayo gives the salad a richer taste.

1 can tuna in garlic olive oil
Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
Baby leaf lettuces
1 loaf Scali or challah bread

Drain all but about 1 teaspoon olive oil off of tuna.
Put tuna in small bowl and add minced onion and approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons mayo or Miracle Whip; mix.
Slice off required slices of bread for number of sandwiches.
Spread tuna on bread, top with lettuces and other bread slice.
Wrap in wax paper and keep chilled until ready to head out.
Pack in cooler and/or use within one hour in warm weather.

OLIVE OIL SLAW
1 sack slaw mix with cabbage and carrots
1/2 yellow onion, chopped fine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, optional

Toss cabbage mix and onion in bowl.
Add more grated carrots, if desired.
In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, sugar, and mustard; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Slowly whisk in oil until creamy and thick.
Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
Pour half the dressing over vegetables in bowl.
Sprinkle with caraway seeds and toss well.
Add more dressing, if desired.
Cover and refrigerate up to four hours; bring to room temperature before serving.
— Adapted from “The Silver Palate” cookbook.

YUM YUM BARS
Get your little helpers to unwrap the caramels, the most difficult part of this recipe.
3/4 cup melted butter
1 package German chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup evaporated milk
Blend together and divide mixture, putting half of it into a 9x13-inch pan.
Bake at 350° for 6 minutes.
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 sack caramels
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Remove pan from oven.
Sprinkle immediately with chocolate chips.
Melt caramels and evaporated milk in saucepan; pour over chocolate chips.
Cover with remaining batter.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer.