One of the best ways our kids can learn empathy and celebrate diversity is to see the myriad of ways different people live their lives all around the world. Which is why I am loving the brand-new children's book, This Is How We Do It , b…
In the age of "alternative facts," it's no surprise that classic dystopian novels, which encourage readers to take a critical look at things, are dominating bestseller lists right now. While dystopian literature has always been popular w…
Having "the talk" means something different to different families. Your mind may automatically go to the birds and the bees. But for thousands of Black families, it refers to essential conversations they're having with their children -- …
The brand new children's book, Atlas of Miniature Adventures is the most charming, wonderful, travel-meets-trivia book . Author Emily Hawkins and illustrator Lucy Letherland sure know how get even the most cynical, " can't we just stay o…
We're all about women in STEM here at CMP, so I was stoked to discover Launch Ladies , a new children's board book celebrating the inspiring women who've pioneered in the field of space exploration but may not be household names like the…
This is a sponsored message from Candlewick Press If your kids adore the charm and fun of the beloved Maisy series of books, they'll be thrilled with the brand new Hooray for Birds! , an irresistible new children's book just out from aut…
A few years ago, R.J. Palacio gave the world Wonder , a middle reader book that we here at Cool Mom Picks believe should be mandatory reading for all children and their parents, which is why we named it among our best children's books of…
In honor of Women's History Month, we've been sharing so many ways to help get our kids excited about historic female heroes both past and present. It made me think to take some time this past weekend to browse through my bookshelf and p…
My kids are obsessed with their dry erase boards (it's the little things, you know?). In fact, my daughter has figured out she can use the dry erase markers on her glossy coloring book covers and wipe those down too. Now, they're playing…
It's no surprise that She Persisted is now the title of an upcoming book about history-making American women. What's more interesting though, is that it's a book written for children, by none other than Chelsea Clinton. The phrase has ce…
This is a sponsored message from Candlewick Press For a not-your-average bedtime story that will keep the whole family entertained, you'll love Triangle , the newest book from New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Caldecott-w…
It's always a strange and complex feeling to feel the loss of someone you've never actually met, but that's just what I feel right now, learning of today's passing of author and mom of three, Amy Krouse Rosenthal . This is one woman who …
OMG! We found a magazine for tween girls so cool that the only thing my 10-year-old daughter could find to complain about was that some of the fonts were hard to read. High praise indeed, if you're familiar with hormonal, too-cool-for-sc…
I can't stop smiling at the new board book, Feminist Baby by Loryn Brantz . Filled with adorable, colorful illustrations of a chunky little wide-eyed baby, it paints a picture of a baby who chooses what to wear herself, rejects pants, pl…
My girls and I love graphic novels , especially when they feature strong female role models, which is why I’m so excited about the Femme Magnifique Kickstarter project , fundraising now. This hardcover anthology of comics will feature 30…
I adore almost all children's books, and thank goodness for that since I am a mom of four kids. But there's one genre -- the ABC book -- that makes my eyes glaze over. Hey, you can only read "A is for apple" so many times. Over the years…
Well, this isn't something we get to share everyday: A new, never-before-published Mark Twain story will be released this fall. (Can you hear us cheering from here?) The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine is a fairy tale that Twain left …
This week, I am under the impression, for some reason, that lots of folks are searching for information on Frederick Douglass: Who was Frederick Douglass? What did he do that was so important? How did he earn a place in the new Smithsoni…
My kids love checking in with the news to see if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow every year on Groundhog Day (SPOILER ALERT: there will be six more weeks of winter this year), and so the new book A Greyhound, a Groundhog by Emily Jenki…
I'm a child of an immigrant. And so I jumped at the chance to put together a list of some of my favorite children's books about the immigrant experience. I know first-hand just how difficult it is for someone to get to America for a bett…
Today, there's excitement about the Oscar nominations, but yesterday was the Academy Awards for book lovers. The ALA made its big announcement of the books worthy of the annual Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King medal winners, as…
Often, some of the very best children's books are the ones inspired by a writer's own child (like Mo Willems' Knuffle Bunny ). These books tend to be favorites among kids and parents alike because they come from a place of authenticity. …
When it comes to imaginative stories and tales, my kids have always been somewhat confused by what's real and what's make-believe. This is especially true of anything Star Wars ("Did his hand really come off?"), Harry Potter ("Do house e…
Over the years, we've put together so many fantastic ways to help honor the important, impactful work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., especially to help families be able to discuss how we might all carry on his legacy. We hope you'll chec…