The publication of the second editions of the Gaskell seminar series represents a minor milestone in the evolution of College postgraduate education. Written under the auspices of the College, the books have become an unofficial syllabus for those taking their Membership examination and in sub-specialty training. According to the Foreword, the series are ‘all the College requires the trainee to know about a sub-specialty, and a little bit more.’ The involvement of several chapter authors of Seminars in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with the College training advisory committee ensures the book’s direct relevance. I used the first edition, edited by David Cottrell and Dora Black, as part of my own Membership revision. It is rather sobering to be reviewing the next edition 12 years later.

The strengths of the book are its brevity and concision. The opening chapters cover the development of the child and the specialty, adult continuity and classification. The chapter on assessment is to be commended for its clarity and for the inclusion of physical examination, a core skill which is often neglected both in texts and in practice. The next 100 pages cover the main psychiatric disorders of childhood in logical sequence, but with the inexplicable omission of chapters on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and tic disorder. These are covered in passing in a later chapter covering biological factors. Aspects of treatment are described in the final 100 pages.

The book reads well although the variety of authors means some stylistic differences and the duplication of some material. Some chapters read like revision aids and others like essays. The illustrations and tables help to break up the text and the examples of paintings by children of different ages are helpful. The choice of the rather macabre pictures that accompany the opening chapter is questionable.

Survey of my colleagues suggests that today’s community consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist needs to contribute skills in neurodevelopmental diagnosis and pharmacotherapy to the team. I understand that in this style of book space is short, but I found these aspects to be insufficiently covered. This is a successful update of the first edition which will be popular among trainees, but the third edition will have to tackle the gaps as the specialty continues to evolve.