This collection of articles deals with the plight of preschool children in developing countries and contemporary thought in the field of child care. In "Speaking Freely--Highlights of a Roundtable Discussion on the Preschool Child, with a 'Commentary' by Dr. William M. Schmidt," 18 doctors exchange ideas about the major problems in child care. "How a Child's Mind Grows," by Jean Piaget, offers a compact overview of his major innovative theories and experiments in cognitive development. In "Prevention IS Possible: The Unnecessary Story of Two Sad Children," by Derrick B. Jelliffe and E. F. Patrice Jelliffe, reasons and solutions for malnutrition in developing countries are explored. "Rapid Social Change: Threat or Promise?" by Beatrice B. Whiting examines problems confronting mothers accustomed to traditional child-rearing in developing societies. In "A Better Educational Start for Jamaica's Children," by Dudley R. B. Grant, the success of Project in Early Childhood Education is described. John Balcomb, in "A View from the Field," reports on unhealthy conditions seen first-hand and efforts to combat them. In "Day Care: An Old Idea, a New Meaning," by Dorothy Beers Boguslawski, effective day care programs are described. In "Self-Discovery Through Play," by Thomas J. Cottle, the importance of play in individual development is explored. (Author/KM)