This was a banner year for media, including great books for parents from some of our favorite bloggers, wonderful kids’ books, and more cool music for kids than a new parent would have ever known was out there, had the remote control gotten jammed on that Disney channel.

Behold, our favorites…

Kristen: Baby Loves Salsa (at top) mixes Latin sounds with new and traditional kids’ songs. My kids can’t get enough of of this spicy salsa CD.

They Might Be Giants Here Come the 1-2-3s

Liz: They Might Be Giants, those masters of kids’ music that parents might actually be tempted to listen to willingly when the kids aren’t around, do it again with Here Come the 1-2-3s making kids feel smart, and adults feel smarter.

Sippy Cups DVD Electric Storyland

Liz: The Sippy Cups concert DVD release, Electric Storyland: Live at the Great American Music Hall is second best only to a real live Sippy Cups concert.

For even more of the best kids music releases of the year, check out the winners of the Fids & Kamily new music poll.

Ida Pearle Alphabet Book

Kristen: Ida Pearle’s A Child’s Day: An Alphabet of Play brings the classic children’s alphabet book back to life. I could look at this for hours. Not bad for a book with only 26 letters in the whole thing.

Liz: What she said.

Rockabye Book by Rebecca Woolf

Kristen: Rebecca Woolf’s Rockabye is a must-read for any mom, tattoos or not.

The Rookie Mom's Handbook

Liz: If only The Rookie Mom’s Handbook had been out a few years earlier, I might have made it through my daughters’ first year with fewer tears. Mine.

Sleep is for the Weak by your favorite mommybloggers

Cool Mom Picks Pick of the Year 2008

Staff: So while we’re completely biased (there, we said it) Sleep is for the Weak sheds light on motherhood intuitively, hilariously, poignantly and like nothing we’ve read before. Featuring personal stories on parenthood from several talented and popular bloggers (including a couple of Cool Moms you might recognize), this is one parenting book that won’t gather dust on your shelf.