Another year, another Good Reads Challenge goal , and I'm so happy to get the year started with the first novel by Cool Mom Picks' own co-founder Kristen Mei Chase, A Thousand Miles to Graceland . If you love to read tender, funny, and c…
Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac and after last year's " Year of the Tiger ", I'm more than ready to settle down with something a little more calm and sweet. This means our kids will roar less, ri…
I am not Chinese by heritage, but I still love baby gifts that reflects the Chinese zodiac. So with the Chinese New Year starting The Year of the Tiger, I've put together some of my favorite tiger-themed baby gifts , which are always a c…
When it comes to creating empathy and developing a commitment to justice and respect in my children, I tend to turn toward good children's books . While we've recognized AAPI Heritage Month through children's books in the past, the recen…
The beginning of 2021 feels just as heavy as 2020, with the pandemic still in full force , and then our friends in Texas getting hammered with snow , ice and power outages. But as an Asian American (4th generation American-born Chinese, …
As we move on from the worst president of all time, some wonderful organizations are coming together to help us collectively process, plan, and heal. You can find the full schedule of official Biden-Harris inaugural events here, but ther…
With July 4th coming, up, this is a time my family often discusses what it means to be American, how we can make the country better, safer, and more equitable for other Americans, and what we can do to help live up to our nation's promis…
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which is a great excuse to dive into some fantastic new children's books that teach kids about this rich culture -- or cultures , I should say. Because Asia and the Pacific Islan…
We talk a lot about how to create more kindness and empathy in our kids, when it comes to all sorts of people they encounter in their lives. But top of mind right now for so many of us, are immigrants. I feel so grateful that my kids are…
Exposing our children to multicultural music, art and culture is a simple way to help raise globally minded, compassionate, and empathetic adults . Just as in children’s literature , family music artists -- or kindie groups, as they've b…
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…
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…
Once again, we're happy to have compiled the best lists of all the best children's books of the year, curated by the top publishers, reviewers, organizations, and bloggers we respect. And boy, was it a fantastic year for children's liter…
When two of our favorite peeps get together to raise awareness of two of our favorite animals with fun, free DIY kids crafts , the results are four times the fun. Our pals at Moomah and Tea Collection have joined together to work with th…
If you love both Star Wars and the beautiful design elements of China, we've got excellent news for you. And a discount code, too. {A discount code for Cool Mom Picks readers awaits after the jump!} We fell for the cool movie prints in t…
Thanks to an Austrian grandmother and a healthy selection of Putumayo Kids music , my kids have been exposed to a fairly diverse tapestry of children's music...although I will admit that our knowledge of any music from East Asia is almos…
We admit it: we're blockheads. We love blocks. Old fashioned blocks. Presidential blocks. Chemistry blocks. Alternative blocks. So when we find beautiful blocks that look like a designer's dream and can teach over 100 words in Korean? Ou…
As much as my kids and I love Japanese Kokeshi dolls, I can't bring myself to let another collection into the house, what with all the stuffed animals and favorite rocks already displayed around my girls' room. But, I've found a way to c…
Happy Chinese New Year, mamas, or as my Chinese relatives say: Kung Hei Fat Choi . I'm doing a little extra celebrating this year because it's the Year of the Dragon, which just so happens to be my own Zodiac sign. For those of you with …
I feel fortunate to have three kids who absolutely love sushi and will attack a plate of it as if it is a pile of french fries. But beyond that, I haven't cooked much Japanese food at home--I am pretty sure they'd love the noodles, the c…
What is it about vintage prints that I am so drawn to? Maybe it's that the quirky quality, mixed with a nostalgic feel just make happy when I see them. Now there's an online shop that taps directly into that feeling an an extensive colle…
Yesterday my son had a playdate with a little Chinese girl, coincidentally the same day I downloaded Chinese for Munchkins to my iPhone. The amazed look on her face when I asked them if they had seen a hóu zi or a lóng (a monkey or a dra…