B is for Blondie

by Cool Mom Team | Books for Kids

I completely understand that repetition breeds learning, but seriously, can someone come up with something other than the extremely original A is for Alligator and B is for Bumblebee?Well leave it to the Aussies to shake things up with Never Mind Your Ps and Qs:...

The incredible, edible, obedient egg

by Cool Mom Team | Books for Kids

Raising two voracious but sometimes picky readers, I’ve learned that there are a few factors that go into a guaranteed successful kids’ board book: Simple concepts, not too many words on each page, and ideally, anything a kid can touch/move/smell/poke/feel...

Hip Hop Speaks to Children (and their parents)

by Cool Mom Team | Books for Kids

I thought I knew what hip hop was, but after picking up the kids’ CD-and-book set Hip Hop Speaks to Children, I have a whole new appreciation for this diverse and often moving art form of “poetry with a beat.” Edited by poet, writer and activist...

Keeping them in the tub without having to sing

by Rita | Books for Kids

I don’t know about you, but I can only reprise the entire Annie soundtrack for so long without wishing for amazing tricks to keep my daughter motivated to scrub. And now, I can. By whipping up amazing dinosaurs (yes, dinosaurs) with Jurassic Towel Origami by...

Double-dare you not to love this book

by Julie | Books for Kids

When The Daring Book for Girls came out, I bought copies not just for my own girls, but for their friends.  If I could have afforded it, I would have gone around handing out the book like a missionary. Authors Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz are back...

Francophiles rejoice, for Nicholas is here. And he speaks English too.

by Cool Mom Team | Books for Kids

Every kid needs a Nicholas in his life. That is, the endearing French storybook by René Gosciny (of Asterix and Obelix fame) with charming illustrations by the beloved New Yorker cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé. The series was an instant hit from its first publication...

Neil Gaiman turns his attention towards children again and with that we rejoice

by Rita | Books for Kids

If you’re a fan of graphic-novel superstar Neil Gaiman, then you’ll be doubly excited that he’s teamed up with mixed-media god Dave McKeen in the children’s book, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish. But even if you’ve never heard...

A St Patrick’s Day book for kids that’s entirely free of green sparkles

by Cool Mom Team | Books for Kids

This St. Patrick’s Day, instead of wearing the green plastic crap my quarter-Irish mother insists on sending us in the mail every year, we’re celebrating by hauling out the wonderful children’s book, Fiona’s Luck.The story by Teresa Bateman...

Everybody farts

by Rita | Books for Kids

We made a trip to the emergency room recently with the wee one (everything is fine).  She was scared, we were scared, and only maudlin humor would do. Fortunately, we had along Fiona Bayrock’s Bubble Homes and Fish Farts, an entire nonfiction...

Books for boys, beyond baseball

by Mir | Books for Kids

When I go to teacher conferences, the thing I hear the most about my son– always said with great reverence– is, Wow, he sure likes to read! I come from an entire family of readers, so this doesn’t seem odd to me… but it is odd, because boys...

Crackity SNAPPITY POPPITY Pop!

by Rita | Books for Kids

I’m a woman without singing ability. Also, my sense of rhythm is limited to 4/4 time. But when my daughter developed an interest in scat after hearing about it on a kids’ television show, it was time for some musical research. No need for my kid to be...

The 2009 ALA award winners are announced and with that, we go book shopping

by Cool Mom Team | Books for Kids

We admit it, we’re a sucker for the annual American Library Association awards which help us navigate the thousands of virtual bookstore shelves when picking out great reads for our kids. Last week the 2009 ALA winners were announced and we’re excited to...